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51
Investigations were made concerning each Puerperal; no connection
could be traced between one and another, and no Doctor or Midwife
notified more than one case.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.—Thirty-seven cases of this disease
were notified as compared with 80 in 1919, 16 in 1918, 11 in 1917,
22 in 1916 and 1915, and 14 in 1914.
Two of the notifications came from Whipp's Cross Hospital, and one
case found by the Health Visitor was the subject of a report to the
County Medical Officer and the Midwives Board.
There is a small increase in the numbers notified as compared with
previous years. This is due mainly to the early notifications by Midwives
of conditions that heretofore would have been ignored. This is all to
the good and in the children's interests, and ensures skilled treatment at
the earliest possible moment when treatment is likely to have the best
result.
Fifteen of the children had the disease in a well marked form and the
average time of their treatment was eighteen days. Two were very bad
for five and six weeks but the results were excellent—only one child had
one eye slightly scarred. The treatment of all children was in the main
carried out at the Public Health Office, under the general supervision of
the Ophthalmic Surgeon, who saw weekly all the bad cases. The babies
were taken twice daily to Lloyd Park for treatment, and the Nurses also
visited twice a day the homes during the first week or two to ensure that
my instructions were being carried out.
Encephalitis Lethargica.—Four cases of this disease were
notified, two of them from a London hospital.
The latter got completely well; the others died, the causes stated
being Influenzal Pneumonia and Tubercular Meningitis.
Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis.—The two cases notified were
removed to hospital and completely recovered.
Measles and Whooping Cough.—There were 5 deaths
registered during the year from Measles and 10 from Whooping Cough.
In 1919 there were 9 and 5; in 1918, 19 and 32; in 1917, 24 and
11; in 1916, 24 and 21; in 1915, 54 and 31; and in 1914, 21 and 17.
The Public Health (Measles and German Measles) Regulations,
1915, Recission Order, 1919, came into operation on the 31st December,
1919, so no reliable information as to the true incidence of Measles
in 1920 was available.
Up to the end of June many notifications were received from parents
and doctors, which go to show that during these months 32 cases arose