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ERRATUM.
Page 73, line 10, should read:
"clear type, and reading in
bed by artificial light,
especially when children are''
These children are re-examined by the Medical Officer when
the school is next visited. If necessary, they are then referred
to the refraction clinic for examination by the Ophthalmic
Surgeon.
The eyes of nearly all infants are inclined to be long sighted.
As children grow up the eyes become increasingly used for
reading and study and a tendency to short sight develops. For
this reason it is most important that children should only bo
allowed to read in a good light. Their books should have large
clear type, and reading in bed, especially when children are
convalescing after illness, should be forbidden.
In many of the popular children's papers the print is poor.
There is no doubt that the constant reading of these papers,
especially in a poor light, tends to give rise to myopia or short
sight.
(h) Defective Hearing. At the routine inspection, 3 children
were found to be suffering from defective hearing, 15 from otitis
media, and one from other ear disease, all requiring treatment.
There were also four children with defective hearing requiring to
be kept under observation.
In other words 1.2% of the children examined in the
schools were found to be suffering from defective hearing or
from discharging ears. Furthermore 8 children with defective
hearing, 53 with otitis media, and 46 with other ear diseases, all
requiring treatment, were examined as special cases at the
Health Centre. Deafness and running ears are still of too frequent
occurrence amongst school children. A discharging ear
is a source of considerable discomfort and unpleasantness to a
child. The impairment of hearing which is nearly always
associated with it gives rise to a considerable handicap in school
life. The chronic discharging ear is also a source of danger
owing to complications of the mastoid region which are liable
to arise. Infectious diseases such as measles and scarlet fever
are common causes of discharging ears. Nearly all the cases of
scarlet fever, however, that occur in the Borough are treated in
the Infectious Diseases Hospital, and it is quite uncommon for
a child to be discharged with a running ear or with impaired
hearing. Infections such as measles, scarlet fever, influenza
and the common cold, occurring in children with enlarged tonsils
and adenoids are the chief causes of ear trouble. Dental sepsis
is also an important contributory factor. Removal of enlarged
tonsils and adenoids and attention to oral and nasal hygiene are
the principal measures for preventing ear diseases. Greater
supervision in the pre-school period would also undoubtedly help
to reduce the incidence of these defects.
(i) Dental Defects. At the routine inspection by the Medical
Officer 232 children were found to have defective teeth requiring
treatment, and 145 to have defective teeth requiring to be kept
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