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51
Number of cases notified—
By medical practitioners 32
By midwives or nurses Nil.
Number removed to hospital 2
All notified cases of ophthalmia neontorum or of inflammation
of the eyes of the newly-born are at once visited by the Health
Visitors, and steps are at once taken to secure medical treatment
at home or at hospital. Nursing attendance is provided free of
charge when cases are retained at home for treatment.
During 1925 the total number of visits paid by Nurses supplied
by the Council in cases of ophthalmia neonatorum or other inflammatory
conditions of the eyes of infants was 3,056. In addition,
237 visits of enquiry and supervision were made by the Health
Visitors.
No case of permanent damage to the eyes of new-born infants
was recorded in 1925.
Erysipelas.
There were 67 cases of erysipelas notified, and 1 death was
registered from the disease during 1925, as compared with 75 cases
and 6 deaths in 1924, 84 cases and 3 deaths in 1923, and 66 cases
and 2 deaths in 1922. The case-mortality was 1.5 per cent., and
the death-rate per 1,000 of the population was .006, as against a
case-mortality of 8 per cent. and a death-rate of .035 per 1,000 of
the population in 1924.
Measles.
There was a considerable increase in the incidence of measles
during the last quarter of 1925. This disease and whooping-cough
are compulsorily notifiable in Battersea under regulations made by
the Ministry of Health. The regulations—Battersea (Measles and
Whooping-Cough) Regulations, 1922—are dated 8th April, 1922,
and came into force on 24th April, 1922.
During the year there were 794 cases of measles notified or
otherwise reported to the Medical Officer of Health. The incidence
of the disease, as measured by these notified and reported cases,
was equivalent to a rate of 29 cases in every 1,000 of the population
under 10 years of age.
In the previous year 2,423 cases were notified or otherwise
reported.
Of the 794 cases notified or reported during the year 1925 there
were 693 cases notified under the Regulations, as compared with
1,893 cases in 1924, showing that the obligation of notification