Infantile ophthalmia (blennorrhoea neonatorum) and its prevention : read in the Section of Ophthalmology at the Annual Meeting of the British Medical Association, held in Leeds, August, 1889 / by Karl Grossmann.

  • Grossmann, Karl.
Date:
[1889]
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Credit: Infantile ophthalmia (blennorrhoea neonatorum) and its prevention : read in the Section of Ophthalmology at the Annual Meeting of the British Medical Association, held in Leeds, August, 1889 / by Karl Grossmann. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    of 943 cases, 0=0.0 per cent. Grosswardein, 1883 to 1888, out of 714 cases, 1-—0.15 per cent. These statistics are eloquent enough; they prove that the evil can be coped with successfully, and how this may be done. In 1884 a deputation (committee) selected from the Ophthalmo- logical Society was in communication with the Registrar-General concerning this subject. The propositions made by that commit- tee were not accepted, and nothing seems to have come of it in the meantime. It was pointed out by the Registrar-General that, if the suggestion of distributing printed slips were adopted, addi- tional labour and expense would be incurred. About two years ago the Committee of the Bradford Eye and Ear Infirmary made an attempt to carry out this idea by supplying the registrars of their district with such slips. The expense was a very small one —about 258.; and it was thought that, at that rate, the cost for the whole United Kingdom would come to about £30 per annum. Whether the distribution of those slips has helped to diminish the occurrence of the deleterious instances of blenorrhcea neonatorum I have not been able to ascertain satisfactorily, but let us inquire one moment into this question of expense. It has been estimated by the committee referred to before that about 30 per cent, of the blindness met with at present was caused by infantile ophthalmia. This means, of course, total blindness of both eyes, and comprises, according to the last census, about 7,000 individuals. If we were to add those cases where one eye only has been destroyed, or where sight has been left just sufficient to get along somehoio, this number would be greatly increased; but let us, for argument's sake, take the num- ber as low as 7,000, and let us calculate, similarly to what Magnus did for Prussia, what these 7,000 blind individuals mean. If we take a very moderate average of the weekly earnings of a healthy person, we may put it down at 20s., or yearly, £52. The blind is not only unable to earn his living, but, on the contrary, must be kept and fed. Let us say he requires about Is. a day for his keep, etc., which would make about £18 a year. He there- fore represents an annual loss of £52+£18=£70. This is a very moderate calculation, but still it brings us for the 7,000 blind in- dividuals to a total of £490.000, or about half a million of annual loss, which might be easily prevented, not to speak of the enor- mous amount of misery which could have been avoided at the same time. Will these simple figures be eloquent enough to make the situation a little clearer? Will they help to demonstrate that a small amount of extra labour would be well spent ? Quite recently the Local Government Board was asked to have some directions of advice printed on the vaccination cards which are given by the registrars for births. This demand was de- clined, and, as I think, very rightly, for the reason that it would not be expedient to give optional directions and compulsory ones on the same paper. And I do not think that such cards, even if distributed, would be sufficiently effective with an indifferent populace to stamp out the disease in question. Preventive mea- sures ought to be taken of a far more thorough nature, and they should be made compulsory. It is now the general custom in this country that among the poorest classes confinements are attended by a midwife when a medical man cannot be present. Here, then, is given the prin- cipal starting-point for any wholesome and wholesale reform. This has been recognised by several foreign States, where regulations to this effect have already been adopted, as, for instance, in Saxony, the regulations for which I have here printed for your inspection.