View report page

19
31 children were referred to the Specialist Ear, Nose and
Throat Clinic. The majority of these had not been treated
previously.
Owing to various difficulties, re-testing of those treated was
not carried out, but 27 of these reported an improvement in their
hearing. All these had a unilateral loss, wax and simple nasal
catarrh being the main causes.
Three children were referred to hospital for possible hearing
aid. Two were found suitable for such aids.
One was referred for Pure-Tone Audiometer Testing.
The number of children found to have permanent defective
hearing in one ear were 28, the probable cause being as follows:—
Following Mastoidectomy 13
Chronic Middle Ear Disease 10
Trauma 2
Congenital Malformation 1
Polypus 1
Meningitis 1
28
The number of children found to have permanent defective
hearing in both ears were eight, the causes being :—
Bilateral Mastoidectomy 3
Bilateral Chronic Middle Ear Disease 4
Congenital 1
8
Audiometry.—Miss M. O'Leary reports as follows:—
The re-commencement of Audiometry in Walthamstow after
the gap caused by the war years, has, in my opinion, been a success.
Group-testing of school children was carried out in all
secondary and junior schools where facilities permitted, including
four special schools, and I am glad to report that, contrary to
earlier expectations and due to the co-operation of Head Teachers
concerned, it has proved possible for me to test all children in
the above-mentioned groups, which together totalled 33 school
departments.
Facilities for Testing.—To produce the best results from a
hearing test, a quiet room is essential. Owing to conditions prevailing
in schools and to school accommodation being used to
capacity, tests have been carried out whenever possible in spare
classrooms, but as classes are very large, few schools have spare
rooms. In such circumstances accessory rooms have been given
up for the testing, e.g., Library rooms, Science rooms, Woodwork
rooms, Dark rooms, Medical rooms, etc., and in one school the