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48
with panel patients that they are frequently obliged to decline
maternity engagements, hence a larger proportion of
these cases are now attended by midwives. The birth
notifications would appear to throw some light upon this
point. Miss Hammond reports that of the 3,662 notifications
received during 1913 only 956 were from medical
men, whilst 1,210 were from midwives and 1,002 from
the Maternity Department of the London Hospital (students
and midwives, with skilled medical assistance where
necessary). The remainder of the notifications gave no
information as to the position of the informant; but assuming
that these were equally divided between doctors and
midwives, the midwives appear to have attended by far the
greater number of the whole 3,662.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM.
Sixteen cases of this disease were notified during the
year; the mothers were attended by doctors in seven cases,
by midwives in six, and London Hospital maternity assistants
in two. In eleven of the cases a complete cure has
been effected, four remain under treatment, and the
parents of the other infant have left the district.
CEREBRO-SPINAL MENINGITIS.
Only one notification of this disease was received. A
girl aged eleven was taken ill on the 22nd of December.
She had headache, drowsiness and delirium; squint was
noticed on the 28th, Kernig's sign was present, there was
retraction of the head and the reflexes were exaggerated.
The girl was removed to the London Hospital, where the
case was considered to be one of Tubercular Meningitis;
lumbar puncture was in favour of this diagnosis, as no