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42
One other case of ophthalmia neonatorum brought to our notice was that of a
patient born in the Borough of St. Pancras, whose mother afterwards moved into this
Borough.
This case was notified to the Medical Officer of Health of St. Pancras, the disease
was of moderate severity and no injury to the sight resulted.
In addition to the foregoing we received information of a case of slight inflammation
of the eyes in a newly born child.
The tables show that many agencies are available for treatment of Holborn
cases; full use has been made of the Council's arrangements for providing services
of the District nurses, six of the babies being attended to in their own homes by
these nurses.
Three patients were admitted to St. Margaret's Hospital, Kentish Town, an
Institution of the Metropolitan Asylums Board set apart for the in-patient treatment
of this disease. Any infant requiring such treatment can be admitted with its mother
on the application to the Metropolitan Asylums Board of a medical practitioner or of
a midwife. The baby should be sent in as early as possible and especially before any
haziness of the cornea sets in. In this connection earlier notification of the disease
would be of service.
As regards prevention, the routine application of a suitable preparation of silver
to the eyes of a child at birth would undoubtedly very much lessen the disease. This
has been the experience in the United States of America. In practically every Federal
State the midwife is required by law to treat the eyes of every new born infant
with a solution of nitrate of silver; the Government supply small doses in
sterilised containers free of charge.
Recently, a circular has been issued by the Scottish Board of Health to medical
practitioners" strongly recommending the installation of silver nitrate solution into
the eyes of newly born children and intimating that they will in future require a report
with particulars of treatment from Medical Officers of Health on all cases in which there
occurs loss of vision."
The procedure recommended is a practical means of prevention, ready to-day,
and proved to be efficacious.
The only difficulty is to have its advantages brought home to those concerned.
Measles.
The notification of measles was discontinued at the end of 1919, but during the
last year I received information, principally from school teachers, of 12 cases. All
were visited except those that were at once removed to hospital.