Minerva

Pens and pencils are often thrown by children and can cause penetrating eye injuries. A review in Clinical Ophthalmology says 748 ocular pen injuries and 892 ocular pencil injuries were reported in the UK between 2000 and 2002 in the Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance System (2012;6:41-4, doi:10.2147/OPTH.S28342). But no eye injuries from swords (including toys) or fencing foils were reported, leading the authors to conclude that with regard to eyes, pens are still mightier than swords.

The Slumdoctor Project is looking for doctors and nurses to join a team of healthcare professionals setting up a clinic in a poverty stricken part of India in March (23-25). The makeshift camp will be based in a school in a small village in the Punjab. In March 2011 8000 patients were seen by a team of 30. Thousands of patients travelled on foot for up to 100 km to get there. The camps have been running for seven years and have doubled in size every year. For more information or to volunteer go to www.slumdoctor.co.uk or email slumdoctor@hotmail.co.uk …