London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Walthamstow 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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14. OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM.
The numbers of cases notified during the last two years were:—
| Year. | Totals. | St. James Street. | High Street. | Hoe Street. | Wood Street. | Hale End. | Higham Hill. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 3 | — | — | 1 | ||||
| 1930 | 8 | 2 | - | - | — | 1 | 5 | ||||
| Year. | Treated | Vision unimpaired. | Vision impaired. | Total Blindness. | Deaths. | ||||||
| At Home. | In Hospital. | ||||||||||
| 1931 | 7 | 1 | 8 | - | — | — | |||||
| 1930 | 5 | 3 | 8 | - | — | — | |||||
One case was admitted to St. Margaret's Hospital (London
County Council) and made a good recovery.
Treatment was given either at home or at the Clinics by your
Council's Medical Officers and Health Visitors in three of the cases.
15. PEMPHIGUS NEONATORUM.
Six cases of this disease were reported during the year, and three
proved fatal.
The first case occurred in May (Midwife C), the second in
November (Midwife V) and cases 3, 4, 5 and 6 (Midwife E) in
December. There was no connection between any of the midwives
and no causative factor could be discovered except that Case 3 had
recently been circumcised—the first bleb appeared on the inside of
the upper part of the thigh. Midwife E, who acted as a Maternity
Nurse in cases 5 and 6, was found to be perfectly normal when
examined on three occasions.
All the midwives were suspended until the usual disinfection of person, clothing and equipment had been carried out and, in
addition, Midwife E voluntarily agreed not to practice midwifery for one month which was later extended to four months.