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The above report refers only to school children, but children
from the Maternity and Child-Welfare Department were also
seen and treated in the Eye Clinic. There were 53 new cases
seen during the year, referred because of squint or complaint
suggesting defective vision. These children, along with others
already under the clinic, made 353 attendances. Sixty-two
prescriptions were given for glasses. Also 5 children made 48
attendances for treatment of external eye diseases.
Some of the children from the Welfare Department were
suitable for orthoptic treatment, and 43 children were seen,
making 100 attendances, in the period from May to December,
after the appointment of the Orthoptist.
DEFECTIVE COLOUR VISION. The test for this defect
has only been carried out in the case of children attending
grammar and other higher schools, and for those children who
propose entering services where correct colour discrimination is
necessary. Defective colour vision is of fairly frequent occurrence
in males, but is much less frequent among girls. It is
such a severe handicap in certain occupations that it is clearly
in the child's own interests that it should be discovered before
his career is decided. By so doing, much avoidable failure and
frustration, not of the child's own making, can be prevented.
At the examination held at the Grammar and Technical
Schools, the following results were obtained:—
Number examined Number defective Percentage
defective
Boys 836 52 6.22
Girls 1,604 1 0.06
EAR, NOSE AND THROAT DEFECTS: DEFECTIVE
HEARING. The year under review saw the establishment of
ear, nose and throat clinics. They were planned to secure that
as far as possible patients needing admission to hospital should
receive continuity of treatment and follow-up between hospital
and clinic by the same surgeon. To this end the Health Committee,
taking advantage of Circular 202/46, relating to the
employment of specialists released from the Armed Forces,
appointed Mr. C. J. Scott, M.B., Ch.B., D.L.O., as a wholetime
ear, nose and throat surgeon to the staff of Whipps Cross
Hospital, and arranged for his services to be made available
to the Education Committee's clinics. He was also given the
supervision of the children attending Tunmarsh Lane Deaf
School, and, towards the end of the year, began regular consultative
visits to the Council's Plaistow Fever Hospital. At the
same time, steps were taken to terminate the agreements with
local hospitals fr tonsil and adenoid operations, with a view to
concentrating this work on Mr. Scott's own beds at Whipps
Cross. It was very unfortunate that the severe epidemic of
poliomyelitis during the summer of 1947 put a prolonged stop
to such operations, so that local hospitals were still working off
the arrears on their waiting lists at the end of the year, while
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