[Report 1909] / Medical Officer of Health, Eccles Borough.
- Eccles (Greater Manchester, England). Borough Council.
- Date:
- 1909
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1909] / Medical Officer of Health, Eccles Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.
27/88 (page 27)
![Defective Sight,—114 cases of this condition have been dealt with during the year. The great majority of these cases have been improved by treatment and by the provision of spectacles. The Committee, recognising that it is impossible to educate a child with defective sight and that this condition causes much unnecessary suffering from eye-strain and its attendant evils, has been very insistent on the remedying of these defects. At the February meeting it was decided to take legal proceedings against a parent for neglecting to provide glasses for his child. This case is of such importance—to the best of my knowledge it was the first case of the sort in the Country thar I give the full particulars of it as reported in the local press:— At the Eccles Borough Police Court, yesterday, before Colonel Andrew and Mr. E, L. Adams. James Crook, a commission agent, 245, Peel Green-rd., was summoned for having unlawfully and wilfully neglected his daughter Agnes, aged 10 years, in such a manner as was likely to injure her health.—The Town Clerk prosecuted on behalf of the Eccles Education Committee, and explained that defendant was charged under Sec. i of the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Act, 1904, which provides that any person over 16 years of age having charge of a young person under 16 years of age, who wilfully neglects a child in such a manner as to cause injury to its health (including the sight) is guilty of a misde- meanour. That the Town Clerk stated also implied the absence of reasonable care. On the 4th Sept, last Dr. Hamilton, meiical inspector of schools, examined the child at .'Ml Saints’ School and found that her eyesight was defective. Notice was sent to the parent calling attention to the defect and the request made that spectacles should be provided. The doctor had examined the child on four occasions since that date and found there was no improvement in her sight nor had spectacles been provided, The schoolmaster alleged that the child was unable to do justice to the instruction that was given her for the want of spectacles. Defendant had been written to on several occasions and asked to appear before the medical inspector and the Schools Medical Inspection Com- mittee but had tailed to do so. The Committee did not complain of want of courtesy on the defendant’s part, but of his not carrying out the request of the medical officer. The Council were spending a very large sum of money in endeavouring to get children to school in a condition fit to receive the instruction provided for them, and if parents would not assist by acting on the instructions of the medical officer that Expenditure Was Being Thrown Away. Dr. Hamilton, Medical inspector and medical officer of health, stated that he examined the girl, Agnes, on the 4th September, and found she was .unable to see any distance without glasses. He sent a note to the parent, and examined the child subsequently on ist October, 4th December, 21st January, and i6th February, but found no change. On the 21st December the parent was written to warning him that proceedings would be taken if no notice]was taken of the Committee's request. The child was undoubtedly suffering through the want of spectacles—Defendant said he received only three letters, two of these asked him to attend at the Town Hall when he was away on business.—Col. Andrew ; You have taken no notice of any letters.—Defendant said he had tested the child’s](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29189263_0027.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
