London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Richmond upon Thames 1965
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond upon Thames]
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OPHTHALMOLOGY.
Dr. Helena Bridget Casey, M.B., B.Ch., D.O.M.S., Ophthalmologist, reports on
the work of the ophthalmic clinics : —
The ophthalmic clinics have been well attended. Statistics are available separately.
(See Table VIII).
One comes to the conclusion that an eye examination is an admirable thing in the
first school year. The hereditary defects of myopia, hypermetropia and the accompanying
astigmatisms are detected. Some parents are quite relieved to find eye defects,
especially when there has been slowness of learning. I do think that parents are much
more amenable to spectacles today.
The development of axial myopia from the age of ten or eleven years onwards is
a problem. I feel that it is on the increase, though doubtless, with the excellent eye
screening in schools, more children were presented who might otherwise not have been
detected.
The amenity of the clinics is no mean factor, as well as the increasing confidence
of the parents, and perhaps not least the cosmetic attraction of the new types of
spectacles; all are factors which help us to see the myopes. Most of the children over
the age of eleven, who attend the clinics are of the nature of myopics.
Treatment of inflammatory conditions is usually limited to blepharitis or conjunctivitis
with the odd foreign body presenting for removal. Injuries are rare, though
a traumatic cataract in a boy of fourteen, due to a snowball injury, was presented
recently at Windham Road Clinic.
Table VIII.
| Number of cases known to have been dealt with | |
|---|---|
| External and other, excluding errors of refraction and squint | 53 |
| Errors of refraction (including squint) | 1944 |
| 1997 | |
| Number of pupils for whom spectacles prescribed | 526 |
Defective Vision :
The Keystone Telebinocular Vision Screener is replacing the card testing method.
This is used to check near point and distance seeing ability and appears to be more
efficient than the older methods.
Children who are found to suffer from defective vision can either be referred to the
Ophthalmic Clinics within the School Health Service where refraction is completed by
an ophthalmic surgeon, or to the family doctor.
During the year 205 sessions were held. Total number of cases dealt with was
1,997. There were 351 new cases (including squints). Glasses were prescribed for 526
patients.
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