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20
"The ear, nose and throat clinic at the Town Hall, which has
a weekly session, is fully equipped for diagnosis and treatment
except the occasional one that requires operation in hospital. The
results in those already treated are very satisfying. In the majority
of cases the parents are very co-operative in regard to treatment
and in the after care. There are, of course, the very few who still
believe that 'he will grow out of it' and prefer to do nothing.
"The varying conditions affecting the ear, nose and throat
among new patients followed much the same pattern as those of
previous years. There has been a very noticeable decline in the
incidence of chronic otorrhoea and only five cases were found
among all the new cases seen during the year. These discharging
ears dried up quickly with two or three applications of zinc
ionization.
"Experience has shown that the only quick and successful
way of curing an early discharging ear is daily treatment at the
clinics. This is insisted on as successful home treatment is out of
the question for the majority of parents who lack the necessary
skill and facilities.
"The presence of sinusitis in children deserves much more
attention than it usually receives. The condition is far commoner
than is generally recognised, even in very young children and in
its early stages it is easily missed. Many cases who showed very
little in the way of physical signs such as nasal discharge, etc., were
found on washing out the sinuses to have profuse latent purulent
discharge. Sinusitis in children can produce serious symptoms of
ill health, frequent headaches, nasal discharge, affections of the
ears, defective hearing, nasal obstruction, recurring colds, tonsillitis,
and gastro intestinal troubles. The cases found at the clinic have
been treated by Proetz sinus displacement method. Some were
given additional treatment by Dowling nasal argyrol packs. The
pack method is very useful where there is much oedema and congestion
of the nasal membrane and turbinals. The results on the
whole have been very good. The cessation of symptoms on clearing
up the sinus infection produces a very noticeable change and
improvement in the child's general health and well being. Parents
frequently comment on this alteration.
"For other nasal conditions, obstruction, mouth-breathing,
rhinitis, etc., nasal diastolization has been employed. Very many
cases were treated by this means during the year. For these particular
kinds of defect there is no other line of treatment available at
present which gives so much relief, with amelioration of symptoms
and lasting results as diastolization. The principle is sound because
it is directed to treating the cause, not the effect.