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26
At the same meeting of the Council, 7th July, the Committee reported
that they had considered the reference to them from the Council, viz.:—
"That the attention of the Public Health and Housing
Committee be directed to the following extract from their report on
ophthalmia neonatorum, viz.:—
"By Rules E. 18 and 19 (5) of the Rules framed by the
Central Midwives Board under Section 3 I. of the Midwives
Act, 1902 (2 Edw. 7, c. 17), at the Council Chamber,
Whitehall, on 24th April, 1907, a midwife has to request the
husband or nearest relative or friend to obtain medical help,
and the midwife is also required by Rule E. 20 and 21, to
send notice to the local supervising authority, which in London
is the London County Council,"
and that the Committee be asked to consider and report as to the
advisability of making it obligatory on the part of midwives at the
same time that they inform the London County Council to also
inform the Medical Officer of Health, instead of making ophthalmia
a notifiable disease."
The Committee in their report stated that:—
"The Rules of the Central Midwives Board provide that in
certain cases, including inflammation of the eyes, however slight,
a medical practitioner shall be called and notification made to the
London County Council.
"We are advised by the Medical Officer that no material
additional cost to the Council would be incurred by making
ophthalmia neonatorum a notifiable disease, any case notified being
dealt with by the existing staff, and that a list of cases attended by
midwives would not include all such cases, but we think that an
attempt may be made to utilise existing facilities for obtaining the
information desired, and that in the meantime our recommendation
to make ophthalmia neonatorum a notifiable disease may be withdrawn."
"We have directed the London County Council be requested
to furnish the Medical Officer of Health with particulars of all cases
in the Borough notified by midwives in which medical assistance
has been called in at their request on account of inflamed eyes in
new-born infants, and have also requested the Medical Officer of