London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Chelsea 1928
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for Chelsea, 1928
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56
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM.
Eleven cases of ophthalmia neonatorum were notified during the
year. Six of these cases were treated in hospital. In tabular form
is shown below, as required by the Ministry of Health, the result of
each case: —
TABLE No. 33. Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
| Cases. | Vision. Unimpaired. | Vision Impaired. | Total Blindness. | Deaths. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. Notified. | Treated. | |||||
| At Home. | In Hospital. | |||||
| 11 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 1 | – | – |
Eighteen cases of the disease were notified the previous year.
Nursing.—By arrangement with the Chelsea District Nursing Association,
home nursing is provided for infants suffering from this disease.
INFLUENZA.
Influenza caused 17 deaths in 1928, as against 41 in the previous
year. There was no serious epidemic prevalence of the disease and
no special action was called for in the Borough in regard to it.
Nursing Provision. —By arrangement with the Chelsea District
Nursing Association all severe cases of influenza receive skilled nursing
attention, where circumstances render this necessary.
POLIOMYELITIS AND POLIO-ENCEPHALITIS.
Three cases of Poliomyelitis were notified during the year. Two of
these cases were treated in hospital. None of these proved fatal. No
case of Polio-Encephalitis was notified.
ENCEPHALITIS LETHARGICA.
One case of Encephalitis Lethargica was notified during the year.
Six visits to old cases of Encephalitis Lethargica were made by the
Woman Sanitary Inspector during the year.
Encephalitis Lethargica is undoubtedly infectious but the infectivity
is of very low nature. The sequelæ may be serious, as in most cases
some permanent damage to the brain tissue occurs. The disease was
made compulsorily notifiable from 1st January, 1919.
In the following Table No. 34 is shown the numbers of cases notified
in London and in Chelsea during the years 1927 and 1928.