Ophthalmia neonatorum : An analysis of the laws and regulations relating thereto in force in the United States / by J.W. Kerr, assistant surgeon general. Prepared by direction of the surgeon general.

  • Kerr, J. W. (John Walter), 1871-1962.
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ophthalmia neonatorum : An analysis of the laws and regulations relating thereto in force in the United States / by J.W. Kerr, assistant surgeon general. Prepared by direction of the surgeon general. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    sight, the importance of ophthalmia neonatorum- as an economic factor becomes evident. Every child infected with the disease, if left untreated, eventually may become dependent upon the community for his support. His education will be more expensive, his power to earn a livelihood will be permanently impaired, and instead of becom- ing a useful member of society, he may, and through no fault of his, become a permanent public charge. In the United States, the State of Massachusetts appropriated $40,000 in 1910 for the support of its blind asylums; the State of New York', $110,000; while the biennial appropriation for the State of Pennsylvania for its institutions of the same kind in 1909 amounted to $265,000. When we aggregate private expenses, amounts spent by States and cities, and also the estimate of the potential earning power of individuals thus disabled, the economic loss on account of ophthalmia neonatorum is enormous. LEGISLATIVE MEASURES FOR THE CONTROL OF OPHTHALMIA NEONA- TORUM. Notwithstanding this great economic loss to the State on account of ophthalmia neonatorum, it was not until 1881 that Crede gave to the world a prophylactic, thereby connecting forever his name with the prevention of the disease and the subsequent saving of the sight of infants. The effective and simple way in which he checked the infec- tion by the use of silver salts, and the statistics compiled by him and others, gave substantial support to his theories, which have been grad- ually incorporated in the sanitary policy of all civilized countries. Legislative bodies both in this country and abroad having accordingly had impressed upon them the importance of the disease have adopted various legal measures for its control. It is the object of this bulletin to present a comparative statement of the several measures adopted in the different States and to bring together copies of the laws^in which they are contained. Brief mention is also made of measures that are required to be taken in certain countries abroad. SOME MEASURES REQUIRED TO BE OBSERVED ABROAD. In France ophthalmia neonatorum is classed as one of the commu- nicable diseases, must be reported, and is subject to disinfection. In Italy the regulations for] midwives provide that the lids and con- junctivae of infants must be washed after birth with a disinfecting solution, and that if an inflammation develops a physician must be called immediately. In Belgium a physician must be called to attend all cases of ophthalmia neonatorum, whde midwives, before bathing the infant, are required to,wash its eyes with sterilized water. In Bavaria the midwife is required to carry with her a vial containing the nitrate