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should discuss the subject generally with the County Medical
Officer of Health, more especially as the question of making
ophthalmia neonatorum a notifiable infectious disease throughout
the County is at present under consideration by the Council.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
(Signed) G. L. GOMME,
Clerk oj the Council.
The Town Clerk of the
Metropolitan Borough of Poplar.
The suggestion of the London County Council was acted upon and
the following report was presented to the Public Health and Housing
Committee:—
"Accordingly the Medical Officer interviewed the Medical
Officer of Health of the London County Council, who stated that
the subject of the compulsory notification of cases of ophthalmia
neonatorum throughout the county would come under the consideration
of the Public Health Committee at the first meeting
after the recess.
"In 1908, for the whole county 97 cases, in which medical
aid had been called in upon the least inflammation of the eyes in
newly-born children, were reported by midwives to the London
County Council. In 1909, 162 such were reported.
"Taking London as a whole, a quarter of the cases of confinements
are attended by midwives, but in Poplar half the cases
are attended by midwives.
"In 1909, in Poplar, nine cases of inflammation of the eyes in
which medical aid had been called in were reported by midwives to
the London County Council, so that if this figure of 9 represents
all cases of inflammation of the eyes in births attended by midwives,
18 cases of ophthalmia neonatorum would represent the number
occurring in Poplar. But are all cases reported by midwives?
(See Medical Officer's report presented to the Committee on 5th
July, 1910.)
"Taking the 162 cases reported by midwives in 1909 for the
whole of London, and a quarter of the confinements in London
being attended by midwives, then there would happen in London
some 600 cases of inflammation of the eyes in newly-born children,