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Ophthalmia Neonatorum
As in the year before no case of infection in the eyes of the new born
was notified. Modern preventive practice at birth including the newer
effective anti-infective drugs has largely removed a birth hazard which in
past years was responsible for a certain amount of loss of vision.
Puerperal Pyrexia
For reasons explained in previous reports, a significant number of notifications
of a rise of temperature associated with childbirth is received
annually from the large maternity departments of local hospitals which
cater for an extensive area of Metropolitan Surrey.
In 1963, 93 such notifications were received compared with 125 in the
year before. All but one were hospital cases and 16 were in respect of Carshalton
residents.
Food Poisoning
No cases were notified but 5 cases came to notice in one household.
No infecting organism was isolated either from the patients or the food
remnants and it is probable that the illness was due to preformed toxins
and not to the living organism. Although it was not possible positively
to identify the vehicle of infection, suspicion pointed to the marzipan of
some Battenberg cake which had been eaten by all 5 patients.
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