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1937.
Total appointments 2646
„ attendances 2406
„ percentage attendance 90.93
„ number attending for refraction 804
„ „ of spectacles prescribed 541
„ „ „ „ obtained 535
Note. Six children were absent on account of illness from the last
session in December and therefore did not receive their
spectacles until early in January, 1938.

Note. The above figures relate only to the sessions of the Eye Clinic
and do not include those children seen on Saturday mornings
by the Nurse.
Aspirations.
Although great progress has been made in caring for the vision of our school children and
though, in my opinion, we can claim that we give an excellent service, there are still the gaps
already mentioned which we have been unable to bridge. My enthusiasm leads me to desire to
do still more to ensure the best possible vision for all children, and were it not that time and
money have to be considered 1 should advocate :—
1. A shorter interval between the testing of vision in schools, viz., that every child should
be tested every year.
2. The provision of a squint training clinic functioning twice weekly.
3. Better provision for the education of High Myopes.
4. Following-up of all children with defective vision so that treatment is prescribed and
carried out.
I realise however that care of vision, however important, is only one branch of the School
Medical Service and that a sense of proportion must be observed in the work as a whole; that,
since there is a limit to the spending of public monies, it is impossible to do all that one desires
in one branch without cutting down on another and thus upsetting the balance and giving an unsatisfactory
service.
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