View report page

Ophthalmic Clinics
Dr. R. Welch, consulting ophthalmologist at the Hornsey Ophthalmic Clinic, reports:-
"During the year 1963 attendances at Hornsey Eye Clinic have continued to be very
good. The patients examined ranged from infants to adolescents of school leaving age.
The commonest symptoms complained of were defective vision and headaches or eyes
aching after close work. A less common symptom was diplopia. On examination most
of these cases were found to have errors of refraction or ocuular muscle imbalance.
In a few cases symptoms were functional and attributable to an anxiety state. A very
important group of cases were referred to the clinic on account of convergent squints,
constant or intermittent. Fortunately these are being recognised at an early stage
when treatment can be most effective. They are refracted under atropine to ensure
complete relaxation of accommodation. As these cases almost invariably have
hypermetropia (long sight) with or without astigmatism, glasses are prescribed for
constant wear. Subsequent treatment, where there is uni-ocular amblyopia, is carried
out under the supervision of the orthoptist and consists of occlusion of the fixing
eye for a variable period followed by orthoptic training to restore and strengthen
binocular vision. If this treatment fails to cure the squint surgical treatment is
indicated. Apropos the need for early detection of squint, some cases rightly referred
to the clinic as they present the appearance of a convergent squint, are in reality
cases of pseudo-squint caused by epicanthic folds of skin covering the inner canthus
of the eye. It is sometimes difficult to exclude the possibility of a real convergent
strabismus in a few of these cases.
It is now the practice of refracting many of the older children suspected of
myopia without using a mydriatic. This obviates the need for a second visit to the
clinic and causes the minimum of interruption of their school work.
Minor eye complaints treated during the year were cases of acute conjunctivitis,
blepharitis and dacryocystitis".