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Prevention of Blindness.
Under Section 66 of the 1925 Public Health Act, a local authority has
power to make arrangements for assisting in the prevention of blindness and
for the treatment of persons resident within their area suffering from disease
of or injury to the eyes.
So far, the only work done by the Council in this direction is that carried
out by the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee, who, through its staff, give
active treatment in cases of ophthalmia neonatorum and "discharging eyes."
The former complaint is notifiable, whilst information regarding the latter is
received via the County, who is the authority under the Midwives' Acts:
the midwife is responsible for notifying the County when she calls in medical
aid for discharging eyes in the new-born.
Practically the difference appears to be one of degree, a slight discharge
from the lids of a new-born child not being regarded as ophthalmia; microscopically,
however, pus cells are usually seen in a smear made from the discharge.
A more important difference is the response to treatment: cases of
ophthalmia require extraordinary attention, whilst the other cases respond
to simple treatment.
There were eight cases of ophthalmia neonatorum, two of these being
removed to Hospital.
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