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The total number of Clinic Sessions devoted to Refraction
work was 342.
Those cases which did not keep the first appointment were
followed up by the School Nurse, and in the majority of cases
further appointments were made.
The following; is a report by Dr. Agnes A. S. Russell, the
Committee's Oculist:-
All children attending schools in the Borough and found by
the Assistant School Medical Officers to have defective vision,
strabismus, or complaining of eyestrain or headaches associated
with close work, are referred to the Ophthalmic Clinic for examination.
The co-operation of Head Teachers and Parents in reporting
defects in vision to the School Medical Officer is of great
value in enabling treatment to be carried out as early as possible.
Their assistance in referring all children with a squint for early
examination is especially helpful, particularly among the young
children.
After examination in the Ophthalmic Clinic, glasses are prescribed
in all cases found to have a refractive error. The reason
why glasses are required and the necessity of wearing them either
continually or only for near work, according to the condition, is
explained to the parents.
Many children with strabismus can be helped further than by
merely prescribing glasses. The correct glasses must be worn
continually, but by also covering up the good eye the child can
be made to use the squinting eye, which in many cases is also a
poor sighted eye; but the co-operation of the parent is necessary
for this. Head Teachers can also help in carrying out this treatment,
and I have had several cases where Teachers have done
this in School with considerable benefit to the child.
All children with strabismus are re-inspected in three months
time at the Ophthalmic Clinic, and kept under regular supervision.
All other cases are re-inspected, after the spectacles are obtained,
by the Assistant School Medical Officers.
Cases of myopia are re-examined frequently according to the
degree of myopia.
The total number of children suffering from External Eye
disease who received treatment under the Authority's schem
amounted to 1,069, 53 were treated by private endeavour.The
remainder were kept under observation by home visits, with
view to treatment being obtained either at the School Clinic or
Hospital.
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