[Report 1946] / Medical Officer of Health, Fife County Council.

Fife (Scotland). County Council.

Date:: 1946

Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1946] / Medical Officer of Health, Fife County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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blind persons came to the conclusion that in more than half the cases of blindness due to senile cataract covered by their investigation, “ there was still a possibility of restoration of vision by operation.” There being such a preponderance of old people among the Fife cases it is very doubtful whether 50 per cent, of the total could benefit from operative treatment even if they agreed to have such treat- ment. Too many of the cases have other disabilities, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and renal complications which prevent the carrying out of operative treatment. The main object of these examinations is to institute special education or training for young persons, and to ameliorate the eye condition in the older people by appropriate treatment. A large proportion of the cases examined in Fife require nursing and social care for which special examination and certification is unnecessary.