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people. It is with such people that nursing services and advice
can be a valuable life-saving measure.
ENCEPHALITIS LETHARGICA.
This disease, with its high attack-rate, independence of season,
and preference for certain age periods, cannot be identified with
certainty by bacteriological examination. The infection is given
off from the upper respiratory tract. Certainly in our town
population there appears to be as little prospect of checking infection
by any practical measures as in the case of Measles, but with both
diseases it is possible to reduce mortality by a careful regard to the
grave risks of complications.
After the sufferer appears to have recovered, or to be approaching
complete recovery from this disease, serious alterations in the
nervous system may appear and these may slowly increase or
diminish over a period of several years. These after-effects may
take the form of mental and moral impairment, and such cases call
for special educational and disciplinary provisions.
The provision of 100 beds for cases of post-Encephalitis Lethargica,
recently made by the Metropolitan Asylums Board, will
therefore help to meet a very real need.
The three cases notified in Stoke Newington during 1926 had a
fatal termination.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM.
Five cases of this disease were notified during the year. All
of the infants received prompt treatment, and their vision has
been maintained unimpaired.
During the year the Minister of Health decided to issue amended
Regulations under which the duties of notifying a case of Ophthalmia
Neonatorum is removed from the midwife and placed solely
upon the medical practitioner in attendance upon the case. At
the same time an obligation is laid upon the Medical Officer of Health
of a Local Sanitary Authority to forward a copy of every notification
which he receives under the Regulations to. the County Medical
Officer of Health, within 24 hours after the receipt of the notification.
The amended Regulations came into force on the 1st October, 1926.