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17
PUERPERAL FEVER.
Six cases of puerperal fever were notified during the year, and of this number 4 proved fatal.
One patient was confined in the infirmary; of the mothers confined in their homes, 3 were attended
in the first instance by midwives and 2 by doctors. In no instance did more than one case of
puerperal fever occur in the practice of the same midwife or doctor during the year.
When a midwife has been in contact with infection, her washable clothing is boiled and other
clothing is disinfected by the staff of the Public Health Department. As soon as she has disinfected
herself, her clothing and her appliances to the satisfaction of the Supervising Authority, she is
allowed to resume her work. The premises where puerperal fever has occurred are inspected, but
they are not in ordinary circumstances disinfected.
OTHER NOTIFIABLE DISEASES.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum—Thirty-eight cases of ophthalmia in new-born infants were
notified during the year, including 9 by midwives in accordance with the provisions of the Public
Health (Ophthalmia Neonatorum) Regulations, 1914, which came into force in April, but 3 of
these had been notified by medical practitioners, so that the new cases notified by midwives
numbered 6.
In addition to the notified cases of ophthalmia, 17 infants were reported by the London County
Council Inspector of Midwives as suffering from inflammation of the eyes, which did not result in
any impairment of vision. The Health Visitors visit every case of inflammation or ophthalmia in
their respective districts as soon as the notification is received, and assist the mother of the infant
to obtain the necessary treatment.
Where the eyes require constant attention the local branch of the Queen Victoria Jubilee
Institute has very kindly arranged for their nurses to attend, at the request of the Health Visitors,
on children who are under medical treatment in their homes. Similar arrangements have also been
made with the Ranyard Nurses, who are prepared to pay four visits daily to cases of ophthalmia
in their district on the Hammersmith border of North Kensington. In certain cases it has also
been found possible for patients to attend daily at the Western Ophthalmic Hospital in Marylebone,
which is within easy access by train from Notting Hill Station. The London Hospital is
unfortunately the only public institution in London, with the exception of the Infirmaries, where
the mother and child can both be received as in-patients. Where immediate removal to hospital
of mother and child is imperative, the Metropolitan Asylums Board ambulances are available without
charge for the purpose.
Epidemic Cerebro-spinal Meningitis.—Two patients—a female, aged 13, and a male,
aged 2, were notified as suffering from cerebro-spinal meningitis, and both cases terminated
fatally.
NON NOTIFIABLE EPIDEMIC DISEASES.