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102
Food for Nursing Mothers.
Owing to the generosity of my former voluntary helper, Miss Stiff, I was enabled
during the year to make an interesting experiment as to the value of supplying a
nursing mother with adequate nourishment for a prolonged period. The two last
babies in this family wasted and died in infancy. Knowing the parents to be
thoroughly trustworthy, I provided the baby (who weighed less at one month
than at birth) with some warm modern clothes, and arranged for the mother to
have a pint of milk daily for some months. The baby steadily increased in weight,
made satisfactory progress, and seems likely to grow into a strong child.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
17 cases have been certified under Section 55 of the Public Health (London) Act.
1. Ten of these occured in cases attended by doctors, inclusive of six in the
maternity wards of public institutions.
2. Seven occurred in the practice of midwives, of these, five were subsequently
admitted to either a Hospital or Infirmary,
In one such instance, where the child's eyes were severely affected, it was admitted
to Moorfield's Hospital of the 16th day, and died there three days later,
of convulsions. Another severe case was admitted to the Infirmary, where it was
efficiently treated ; but the child died shortly after returning home ; both parents
being of a very unsatisfactory type. The remainder have been treated at home ;
various arrangements having been made in accordance with the needs of each case.
There is little doubt that the majority of parents are becoming impressed with
the seriousness of this disease, and I have not in this year experienced a single
instance where the advice given has been disregarded, and all are more inclined
than before to give themselves earnestly to the task of cure.
In addition, four cases of "inflammation of the eyes," have been notified by
the London County Council Medical Inspectors of Midwives.
These occurred in cases attended by midwives, all were subsequently seen by
a doctor, on account of their eyes, but were not certified by them as suffering from
ophthalmia neonatorum.
In one of these cases, it seemed possible that the mischief was caused by the
condition of the eyes of the so-called " nurse " in attendance on the mother. The
midwife was not summoned until 30 minutes after the child's birth ; the " nurse,"
an old woman, had sore eyes and a copious watery discharge, which she habitually
wiped off with her finger or her apron ; under the pressure of questioning she
admitted that she had used the corner of this apron to wipe the baby's eyes at
birth. I pointed out to the "nurse" and to her employer that the condition of