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41
had been wearing lenses different from those prescribed. The
mother had no knowledge of any possible change of glasses as she
had only one child who wore them. The child's class at school
was then examined and all children wearing glasses had their
lenses checked. One child who had received spectacles was not
wearing them, and when they were procured they were found to
belong to the first child who had complained of headaches.
Obviously the two children had inadvertently changed spectacles
when in school. The prompt action of the conscientious mother
who made the child wear the glasses regularly and reported his
complaint at once, cleared up the matter without serious damage to
either child's vision. The second child, it should be noted, had
merely ceased to wear his spectacles, and this is the attitude so
often adopted by parents in regard to their children's spectacles.
If the child complains it is allowed to cease wearing the spectacles,
and nothing further is done in the matter until the child is discovered
again at the next routine medical inspection. In most
of these cases the trouble is simply that the lenses need changing.
The importance of systematic following up of cases of visual
defect for whom spectacles are prescribed is emphasized by Sir
George Newman, Chief Medical Officer to the Board of Education,
in his Report for 1929, an extract from which is given below: —
"It is important that a medical officer, preferably the
Ophthalmic Surgeon himself, should examine the spectacles
immediately after supply, in order to ascertain that the lenses
conform with the prescription and that the frames are suitably
fitted All children with glasses should have their
visual acuity tested once a year, and if it is found there has
been any change for the worse, they should be re-examined
by refraction. All children suffering from myopia should
be examined as a routine measure every six months or a
year according to the severity or progressive nature of the
defect."
It is satisfactory to note that this advice of the Chief Medical
Officer has been the ordinary practice for years in this area.
Necessarily this detailed care involves considerable work, both
medical and clerical, but the conservation of good vision in our
children is of such importance, and the results achieved so encouraging,
that I consider it extremely worth while.
Of the 392 spectacles supplied this year, 80 were spheres only;
8 cylinders only; and 304 were cylinders + spheres; shewing that