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45
On 1st April, 1914, new regulations came into force in regard to this
disease. These regidations were made by the Local Government Board
under Sec. 130 of the Public Health Act, 1875, as amended by the Public
Health Act, 1896, and are known as the Public Health (Opthalmia Neonatorum)
Regidations, 1914. They are set out on pages 138-140 of this Report.
They define "Ophthalmia Neonatorum" as meaning " a purulent discharge
from the eves of an infant commencing: within twenty-one days from the date
of its birth."
Notification of the disease by medical practitioners remains as before,
except that information must also be supplied as to the date of the birth of
the child, the name and address of the parent or other person having charge
of the child, and the date of onset of the disease.
The duty of notifying cases of the disease to the Medical Officer of
Health of the Metropolitan Borough is also imposed by the Regulations upon
every Certified Midwife. 1 here is a scheduled form for such notification, and
a fee of one shilling is payable to the midwife for each notification.
34 cases of ophthalmia neonatorum were notified during 1914, 29 by
medical practitioners, 2 by midwives, and 3 by both.
Of these one proved not to be a case of ophthalmia neonatorum, and one
was a child who was born and developed the disease in Leicester, where the
the case was also notified. The corrected number of notified cases was
therefore 32.
In addition to these information was received from the Medical Officer of
Health of the London County Council in respect of two other cases of inflammation
of the eyes in the newly born. These had been reported by registered
midwives to the County Council as the Local Supervising Authority under
the Midwives Act. Both of these cases were slight.
The total number (corrected) of cases which came to the knowledge of
the Department during 1914 was therefore 34, equal to an incidence rate of
6'5 per 1,000 births. Other numerical details will be found on pages 26-29.
All the cases were visited by Miss Smith, who made full enquiries, and
where necessary took steps, in some cases in consultation with the doctors in
attendance, to ensure that the baby's eyes received proper attention. In this
matter the services of the Queen's Jubilee Nurses have been of great
assistance.
In regard to severity 7 of the cases were regarded by the visitor as
grave, 13 as moderate, and 14 as slight.
The cases are classified on the following page according as the mothers
were attended in their confinement by doctors, midwives from University
College Hospital, other midwives or medical students (in their own homes), or
were delivered in hospital.