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THE OPHTHALMIC CLINIC
Report by
Miss A.A.S.Russell, M. B., Ch.B., D. P. H., D.O.M.S.
The work of the ophthalmic clinic continued as in previous years. As usual a large
number of refractions were carried out and glasses ordered where required.
In addition to the children having a full eye examination, many others are re-Inspected
and a number of children make several attendances. The total number of attendances during
the year was 6,507 and of these 5,653 were made by school children and 853 by children under
school age. Where operative treatment was considered necessary the children were admitted
to Whipps Cross Hospital; 40 children required squint operations and these were carried out.
In addition 3 cataract operations were performed on children under school age.
The work of the orthoptic department has been carried out by Mrs. Goodman. There were
1,715 attendances including 308 from children under school age. Of those there were 33 new
patients under school age and 126 new patients among school children.
Mr. Finbow continued with his duties as full-time optician and he dispensed 1,563
prescriptions for new glasses, while 122 prescriptions were taken to outside opticians. In
addition to measuring and fitting new glasses, Mr. Finbow deals with a large number of repairs
to broken glasses and many adjustments are carried out in the clinic. The number of
attendances in his department amounted to 4,824.
THE PAEDIATRIC CLINIC
Report by
E.Hinden, M. D., M. R. C. P.
The work at the West Ham Consultative Clinics (Stratford and Rosetta) has continued
along the same lines as heretofore. The number of children referred by the Assistant Medical
Officers remains at about the same level; a few children are sent on the initiative of
family doctors.
Many children are sent to the Clinic because they suffer from pains in their limbs.
A characteristic of this complaint is the severity of the pains during the night. The
common story is that the child is well when he goes to bed, but he wakes up during the night
because his legs hurt so. Both lower limbs may be affected, usually only one leg, and it
is usually the leg between the knee and ankle which suffers most. The child cries with
pain; he cannot get comfortable. His mother gets him a warm drink and rubs the poor leg;
after a little while the pain eases off, the drowsy child falls asleep and by the morning
he has forgotten the whole episode. The pain may recur for a few nights running, then the
child is free from it for a few weeks till the cycle starts again. It is noteworthy that
the pain is not in the joints, but In the leg between the joints. The site of the pain
does not alter from night to night and there is no general upset. Occasionally the arms
may ache. Occasionally the child villi complain of pain during the day, especially after
exercise, but these are many variations on the nocturse described above.
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