Preventable blindness : an account of the disease known as ophthalmia of the new-born, and of its effects; with a plea for its suppression / by N. Bishop Harman.

  • Harman, N. Bishop (Nathaniel Bishop), 1869-
Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Preventable blindness : an account of the disease known as ophthalmia of the new-born, and of its effects; with a plea for its suppression / by N. Bishop Harman. 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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    shall constitute the case one of dangerous labour, which must be immediately reported by the midwife, who must call in a doctor to take control of the case. Supposing this could be done, the same difficulty regarding the doctor to be called in would arise as has arisen in the working of the Act already. The midwife is bound to call in a doctor in a case of difficult labour, but no provision was made in the Act for the doctor or his payment. In Liverpool this difficulty has been overcome by the appointment of a salaried doctor, who may be called when required. So with the occurrence of ophthalmia in the new-born—most cases occur amongst the poor, who cannot afford to pay for a doctor; so whom should the midwife call in ? Here is present need for some adjustment in this matter in case of midwifery. Liverpool can deal with it by arranging to pay for the services of a doctor, so there seems no reason why it cannot be done elsewhere. The adjust- ment of this difficulty should be our oppor- tunity for the insistence upon the inclusion of cases of ophthalmia in infants within the scope of the duties of these appointments. Briefly, we should aim at— 1. An exercise of the powers of local sanitary authorities under the Infectious Disease (Notifi-