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It will be seen that all the cases except one occurring in 1927 recovered without any injury to
sight. In the case which proved fatal the cause of death was in no way associated with
ophthalmia neonatorum. Since the year 1921 there has occurred only one case with any
impairment of vision.
These very gratifying results are largely due to the efforts made by the Council's Health Officers
to secure hospital treatment, and to the excellent arrangements which the Borough Council have
entered into with the Kensington District Nursing Association for the home treatment.
It is the duty of midwives to report all forms of inflammation of the eye, even when the condition
is not ophthalmia neonatorum, and these cases, in addition to pure ophthalmia cases, are dealt
with by the Kensington District Nursing Association. In 1927, the ophthalmia neonatorum
and inflammation of the eye cases attended by the nurses numbered 18 and the number of home
visits paid in connection with these cases was 387. These visits average 21 to each of the 18 patients,
and indicate the great amount of trouble taken with this disease. The visits paid by the Council's
Women Health Officers are not included in the 387.
Puerperal Fever.—The incidence of this disease has been light during the past year. Three
cases only were notified and two of them were removed to hospital for treatment; all three cases
recovered. The Registrar-General reported the deaths from this disease of four women in hospitals
outside the Borough.
During the year 1926, the Minister of Health issued the Public Health (Puerperal Fever and
Puerperal Pyrexia) Regulations, 1926, and these were reported upon in my Annual Report for that
year, together with particulars of the Council's scheme for dealing with cases of puerperal fever and
puerperal pyrexia.
Puerperal Pyrexia.—Forty-four cases of puerperal pyrexia were notified during the year. Two
occurred in nursing homes and twenty in hospitals, to which institutions the patients had been
removed previous to their confinements; ten were removed to hospitals after the confinements had
taken place in the patients' homes; and the remainder received satisfactory treatment in their own
homes.
Two cases only developed into puerperal fever; one was transferred from one hospital in which
the patient had been confined to another hospital where the case proved fatal some days afterwards;
and in the other case the patient went to her mother's address in Fulham to be confined and from
there was removed to one of the Metropolitan Asylums Board's hospitals where she died.
Pneumonia and Influenzal Pneumonia.—There are many forms of pneumonia, but the only
kinds notifiable are acute primary pneumonia and influenzal pneumonia. Two hundred and fortyone
notifications were received, 151 patients being certified as suffering from acute primary pneumonia
and 90 from influenzal pneumonia. It is clear that many cases escaped notification.
The number of deaths from pneumonia during the year was 210, and 109 deaths were certified
to be due to influenza.
Malaria.—Two cases of this disease were notified, and investigation revealed that both
patients had contracted the disease abroad, one in Uganda and the other in India.
Encephalitis Lethargica.—This disease, commonly known as "sleepy sickness," was prevalent
throughout the country in the year 1924, the number of cases notified in that year in England and
Wales being 5,063, in London 620, and in Kensington 21. Since 1924, the incidence has happily
declined. During the year 1925, the number of cases diminished considerably, the figures for
England and Wales being 2,670, for London 302, and for Kensington 15. In the year 1926 there
was a still further reduction, 2,267 cases being notified in Engand and Wales, 225 in London, and
10 in Kensington.
In 1927, there were 1,587 cases in England and Wales, 146 in London and 6 in Kensington.
One of the six cases notified in the Borough was found after admission to hospital not to be suffering
from encephalitis lethargica or any other notifiable disease; thus, the number of Kensington
cases was reduced to five.