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Of blindness from inflammations of the inside of the eye, the larger percentage
in males (43.3) as compared with females (27.5) is mainly accounted for by the
greater number of cases of retinitis pigmentosa and of optic atrophy in men.
Choroiditis and choroido-retinitis are almost twice as common in the males,
whereas cases of iritis and irido-cyclitis, many of unknown origin and of
doubtful classification, are twice as common in the female group.
Blindness from accident is 2.5 per cent. commoner in the males and from myopia
it is 4.9 per cent. commoner in the females.
The larger percentage of blindness from senile changes amongst the females
(31.3) as compared with males (22.0) must be at least partly due to the greater
longevity of women.
Midwives Acts, 1902 to 1926, Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1927, Children Act,
1908, and Adoption of Children Act, 1926.
The Midwives Acts, 1902-1926 and the Rules of the Central Midwives Board
regulating the practice of midwives provide for:—
(a) Prevention of the practice of midwifery by unauthorised persons.
(b) Training of midwives.
(i) Lectures to pupil midwives.
(ii) Post-certificate lectures to certified midwives.
(iii) Grants for special instruction of midwives and midwife-teachers.
(c) Supervision of the practice of midwives.
(d) Suspension of midwives from practice on grounds of the possibility
of spreading infection and compensation for loss of practice resulting from
such suspension.
(e) Payment of fees to doctors called by midwives to attend patients in
cases of abnormality or emergency.
(f) Payment of proportion of any annual deficit incurred by Central Midwives'
Board.
Midwives.
There are approximately 5,000 certified midwives with London addresses, of
whom 901 gave notice of intention to practise within the county during the year,
compared with 828 in 1929, the remainder acting mostly as general or monthly
nurses under medical supervision. Practising midwives, other than those who work
entirely in poor law institutions and hospitals approved by the Central Midwives
Board and under medical supervision, are subject to inspection by the Council's
inspectors of midwives with a view to ensuring that a proper standard of efficiency
is maintained. The work of inspection is carried out by four women assistant medical
officers, who supervise the work of the midwives generally, give advice in regard to
any difficulties that may arise in connection with their work and pay special visits
where cases of a septic nature or persistent high temperature, inflammation of the
eyes or blisters on the child occur ; 2,322 visits were paid this year compared with
2,285 in 1929.
Infringements
of
C.M.B. rules.
Infringements of the Rules of the Central Midwives Board to the number of 81
were reported during the year, compared with 104 in 1929. Of these 54 were slight
and a verbal caution was deemed to be sufficient; 24 cases of a more serious nature
were dealt with by a written caution, and 3 midwives were interviewed by the
Committee and personally cautioned. Two midwives who were reported to the
Central Midwives Board during 1929 weTe removed from the Midwives' Roll during
the year 1930.
Suspension
of midwives.
The Midwives Act, 1926, requires that in the case of midwives suspended from
practice in order to prevent the spread of infection the local supervising authority
must compensate such midwife for loss of practice by the payment of such amount
as is reasonable in the circumstances of the case, provided that the midwife was not
herself in default; 37 midwives were suspended from practice during the year