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13
Cerebro-Spinal Fever or " Spotted " Fever.
6 cases were notified, or 8 less than in the previous year.
4 belonged to the Limehouse District, of which 1 died; 2 belonged to
the Whitechapel District, and both recovered.
Polio-Myelitis and Polio-Encephalitis.
1 case of Poliomyelitis and 1 of Polio-encephalitis occurred during the
year. The former belonged to the Whitechapel District, and the latter to
Mile End Old Town. Both died.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum is a purulent discharge from the eyes of newlyborn
children, and is a notifiable disease if it occurs within 21 days of the
date of birth. Notification has been in force since 1st of April, 1914.
There is a statutory obligation on the part of medical men and certified
midwives to notify every case of Ophthalmia Neonatorum to the Medical
Officer of Health of the district. The midwife is not obliged to notify if
the case has been already notified by a medical practitioner.
The rules of the Central Midwives Board compel all midwives to obtain
the assistance of a medical practitioner when there is any inflammation of,
or discharge from, the eyes, however slight, and to send notice to the Local
Supervising Authority (the London County Council) that medical help has
been sought.
When a doctor has been called to see the baby, the midwife presumes
that the notification will be done by him, but I do not think this releases
her from her liability unless she satisfies herself that the doctor has actually
notified the case. However, this is probably the reason why we receive so
few notifications from midwives. If the midwife always carried out this rule,
no very great harm need arise. It happens, however, occasionally that babies are
brought to our Infant Welfare Centres with purulent discharge from the eyes
concerning which we have received no notification. On making enquiries the
Health Visitors are informed that the discharge started within the stipulated
time mentioned in the Act, and they are also informed that no doctor was
asked to see the babies' eyes. On some occasions, the gist of the conversation
is reported to the midwife, who, knowing that we have no locus standi under
the Midwives Act, is not complimentary in her remarks with respect to the
Health Visitors and the Infant Welfare Centres. The last thing we desire,
is to provoke the antipathy and resentment of the midwives in our district.
When a case is notified by a general practitioner (and the certificate is
often brought by hand to the Public Health Offices to save delay), the Health