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 1929
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for Chelsea, 1929
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56
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM.
Five cases of ophthalmia neonatorum were notified during the year.
Two 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 Un-impaired. | Vision Impaired. | Total Blindness. | Deaths. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. Notified. | Treated. | |||||
| At Home. | In Hospital. | |||||
| 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | — | — | 1* |
| * Female, 7 weeks old, cause of death—Marasmus, Ophthalmia Neonatorum, Prematurity. | ||||||
Eleven 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 74 deaths in 1929, as against 17 in the previous
year. There was considerable epidemic prevalence of the disease but
no special action was called for in the Borough in regard to it.
Nursing Provision.—By arrangement with the Chelsea District
Cursing Association all severe cases of influenza receive skilled nursing
attention, where circumstances render this necessary.
POLIOMYELITIS AND POLIO-ENCEPHALITIS.
Two cases of Poliomyelitis were notified during the year. Both
cases were treated in hospital. None of these proved fatal. No case
of Polio-Encephalitis was notified.
ENCEPHALITIS LETHARGICA.
No case of Encephalitis Lethargica was notified during the year,
thirteen 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 sequelae 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
1n London and in Chelsea during the years 1928 and 1929.