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these fellow-employes, living in another borough, were found to be suffering from
Small-pox and were removed to hospital. It is now known that the wife "fell ill"
three or four weeks previously. Upon the 10th March, the husband went to visit his
family at the hospital (one of the children being upon the " Dangerous " list), when it
was found that the vaccination mentioned above appeared not to have been successful :
he was examined and traces of recent Small-pox were found, and he was detained in
hospital.
Case No. 2 was that of a young man age 20 who had worked in the City, where
he attended for a few hours after an absence of three weeks on account of indisposition ;
the next day, 27th February, he was ascertained to have suffered from Small-pox and
was removed to hospital. No information could be obtained of any source of infection
in this case.
Case No. 3 was that of a youth aged 15. This patient neither worked nor lived
in the City, but there was some possibility of his having used a laundry receiving depot
within the City limits, and he was also known to have attended a City Boys' Club.
Here again we were unable to discover the definite source of infection. As a
precaution, however, the Club was temporarily closed, and is now only re-opened to
those members who are efficiently protected by vaccination.
HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION FOR CASES OF OPHTHALMIA
NEONATORUM,
The provision of hospital accommodation for cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum,
which was added to the list of notifiable infectious diseases as from the 13th March
last, has received the consideration of the Metropolitan Asylums Board, and in August
a letter and Report was issued from that body, suggesting the desirability of such
accommodation.
In the early stages of this disease, definite expressions of any opinion as to
whether the inflammation is likely to take a dangerous course or not, is only possible
after microscopical examination of the eye secretion.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum is more serious than is generally appreciated. It is stated
that about 10 per cent, of those who are totally blind, owe their affliction to an attack
of this disease contracted at birth, and it is manifest, therefore, that in-patient hospital
treatment for those severe cases is desirable, especially among the poorer classes who
are financially unable to command that expert and constant attention which is
essential if the sight of the patient is to be saved.
The number of cases in London that would probably require this treatment has
not yet been estimated, but would doubtless be large, and the consequent amount of
accommodation necessary, forms one of the difficulties in the way of the successful
accomplishment of the scheme.