View report page

48
Inflammation of the eyes, however slight.
* * * *
20. (1) The midwife must send notice to the Local Supervising Authority,
in accordance with Rule 21, in the following cases—
(a) Medical help.—Whenever she has advised under Rule 18
that a registered medical practitioner should be sent for.
# * * *
21. For the purpose of the preceding rules the use of the following forms
shall be compulsory: —
(a) Form of sending for Medical Help.
No. Date
This notice is on behalf of (here fill in name of patient)
Address
I have advised that medical assistance be obtained on account of
(inflammation of the eyes).
Signed Certified Midwife.
The case is/is not urgent.
Sent to (name of Doctor)
at (address)
Time of sending message
The midwife shall make two copies of the above, making with the
original documents three forms in all. The original she shall
keep, the second she shall hand to the patient's representative
in accordance with Rule 18, and the third she shall send to the
Local Supervising Authority as soon as possible, but within
24 hours at the latest.
* * * *
The London County Council has appointed two lady doctors to act as
Medical Inspectors of Midwives. As soon as a Medical Inspector
receives a notice from a midwife that a child has inflammation of the
eyes, she visits the case and, if satisfied, after examination, she
certifies it as Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
(III.) Duties of Professional Assistants in regard to Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
The presumption is that the pupils of midwives are instructed to examine
and cleanse the eyes of newly born infants and to report. It woidd be
desirable for all hospitals to adopt the rules made to guide midwives in cases
of Ophthalmia Neonatorum as far as they would be applicable to extern
obstetric attendants. The vigilance then exercised would probably be as
omplete as human ingenuity can devise.