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39
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
On February 9th, 1914, a Circular was issued by the
Local Government Board intimating that from 1st April,
1914, the disease known as Ophthalmia Neonatorum was to
be compulsorily notifiable throughout the Kingdom. The
description of Ophthalmia Neonatorum is "a purulent discharge
from the eyes of an infant commencing within twentyone
days of its birth."
Under this Order it is the duty of any Medical Practitioner
on first becoming aware of the child upon whom he is
in professional attendance is suffering from Ophthalmia
Neonatorum, to sign a notification and to transmit it to the
Medical Officer of Health. It is also the duty of every certified
midwife, who has reasonable grounds for supposing that
the child upon whom she is called in to visit in the course
of her practice, is suffering from Ophthalmia Neonatorum, to
forward a similar notification to the Medical Officer of
Health.
During the year 4 such notifications were received. All
of the cases were in receipt of proper medical attendance.
The late Dr. Bywater made careful enquiries from all
available sources as to the occurrence of this disease in
Finchley. He came to the conclusion that very few cases
actually occurred, and, judging from the absence of corneal
opacity among school children, that these must be of a very
mild type, and with this I concur.
Prevalence and Control over Acute
Infectious Disease.
The total number of cases of acute infectious disease
notified during the year was 245, which is equal to an attack
rate of 5.3 per 1,000 of the population, as compared with
160 cases, and an attack rate of 3.6 in 1913.
Table II., on page 45 gives other details relating to these
cases.