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96
It was particularly regrettable that one of these infants should have died, as
it was an only child, living in a good home and very well cared for. Weaning
occurred at a time when epidemic diarrhoea was prevalent, and this child became
infected; after two days' comparatively slight illness, she grew rapidly worse and
died after an illness of four to five days' duration. The mother had attributed the
first symptoms of the disease to "teething," and had not taken the child to a
doctor until the complaint had made considerable advance. It appeared that if
prompter treatment had been given the child's life might have been saved, and
at least, would have had a greater chance of recovery.
Such a case points out need for further educational work amongst the
inexperienced ; also to the need for the provision of proper storage for food in
every home. This home, although kept very clean and well ventilated, consisted
of one room; there was no accommodation for food, two unventilated cupboards,
one on each side of the fireplace, being the only store places that existed.
Five of these infants died in Institutions, two of these were admitted
suffering from epidemic diarrhoea, three had been admitted some time previously
for illness due to other causes.
III. Puerperal Septicaemia.
Three cases have been certified during the year.
One occurred in the practice of a doctor; the patient was removed to the
Infirmary and died there a few days later.
Two occurred in the practice of the same midwife, but with an interval of
5 months between the two; both, eventually recovered.
IV. Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
Sixteen cases have been notified.
Five of these occurred in the practice of doctors including one in an institution.
Eleven of those occurred in the practice of midwives.
Two cases were severe, but received regular and constant attention, both
being taken to Moorfields Hospital, and one was admitted for a few days.
All apparently made satisfactory recoveries, though in some instances where the
severity of the disease was not clearly marked at first, recovery was prolonged
and slow; possibly because the parents treated it with less regularity than when
alarmed by more obviously serious symptoms.
One of these children died at eight weeks of erysipelas.
V. Tuberculosis.
A considerable portion of my time has been spent in visiting women and
children notified as suffering from some form of tuberculosis, especially in the
early part of the year, when several notifications were received each week, owing
to the terms of a new Order, which required all forms of tuberculosis to be
notified.