[Report 1922] / Medical Officer of Health, Herefordshire / County of Hereford County Council.

  • Herefordshire (England). County Council.
Date:
1922
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1922] / Medical Officer of Health, Herefordshire / County of Hereford County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    42/58 (page 39)
    Inflammation of and Discharge from Eyes. Twenty cases were notified by 12 midwaves as having been the cause of calling in medical help. All recovered without any permanent injury to the eyes. Two were treated in Hospital. All recovered without permanent injury. Puerperal Fever and Rise of Temperature. Medical help was called in 17 cases by 15 midwives, none of which were regarded as septic cases, and all the patients recovered. Eclampsia. Three cases were reported. One case was removed to Hospital and died there. The other two recovered. Disciplinary Action. None was called for during the year. Supply and Training of Mid wives. The work under the Midwives Act, Infant Welfare and Nursing is controlled by the Midwives and Nursing Sub-Committee. The number of practising Midwives has increased by eight since last year. The number of bona-fide Midwives has decreased by five. The deficit has been made good by trained Midwives. The question of maintaining and increasing the number of Mid- wives has been frequently under discussion in relation to the general problem of Maternity and Infant Welfare. MENTAL DEFICIENCY. At the end of 1921 there were 2 males and 11 females certified and under control in Certified Institutions. During the year 1 male case was certified and sent to a certified institution and 2 females and 1 male were discharged, leaving 2 males and 9 females in Certified Institutions at the end of 1922. One female was discharged on probation to her home and 1 female was transferred to Burghill Asylum; 1 male was found not to be mentally defective, and was accordingly discharged. One female was transferred from Ross to Chesterfield, where she would be less confined and acquire further training. Seventeen cases were dealt with by the Committee during the year, and 3 males and 1 female were ordered to be certified; two cases were found not mentally defective, three were discharged to other institutions or to their homes, while the remaining nine were found to be under proper care and control and did not require certification. There were no deaths in institutions during the year. The mentally defective cases are visited periodically by the Health Visitors, and reported on every two months by them to the medical adviser, who visits and reports on urgent cases.