Chap. 423.—An ACT for the prevention of blindness from opthalmia neona-
torum, designating certain powers and duties and otherwise providing
for the enforcement of this act ,and making appropriation to carry it
into effect. [HB 380]

Approved March 27, 1918.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
any inflammation, swelling, or unusual redness in either one or both
eyes of any infant, either apart from or together with any un-
natural discharge from the eye or eyes of such infant, independent
of the nature of the infection, if any, occurring at any time within
two weeks after the birth of such infant shall be known as “in
flammation of the eyes of the new-born” (opthalmia neonatorum).

2. It shall be the duty of any physician, surgeon, obsterician
midwife, nurse, maternity home or hospital of any nature, parent
relative, and persons attendant on or assisting in any way whatso
ever any infant, or the mother of any infant at childbirth, or any
time within two weeks after childbirth, knowing the condition here
inabove defined, to exist, immediately to report such fact, as the
State board of health shall direct, to the local health officer of thi
county, city, town, magisterial district, or whatever other politica
division there may be within which the infant or the mother of any
such infant may reside. In the event of there being no health
officer in the county, city or town in which the infant resides, mii:
wives shall immediately report the conditions to some qualified
practitioner of medicine, and thereupon withdraw from the case
except as she may act under a physician’s instructions. On receipt
of such report, the health officer, or the physician notified by a mid.
wife where no health officer exists, shall immediately give to the
parents or persons having charge of such infant, a warning of the
dangers to the eye or eyes of said infant, and shall, for indigent
cases, provide the necessary treatment at the expense of the said
county, city or town.

3. It shall be unlawful for any physician or midwife practicing
midwifery in the State of Virginia, to neglect or otherwise fail te
instill or have instilled, immediately upon its birth, in the eves of
the new-born babe, one or two drops of a solution prescribed or fur-
nished by the Virginia State board of health.

4. It shall be the duty of the local health officer:

(1) To investigate or to have investigated each case as filed
with him in pursuance of the law, and any other such cases as may
come to his attention.

(2) To report all cases of inflammation of the eyes of the new-
born and the result of all such investigations as the State board of
health shall direct.

(3) To conform to such other rules and regulations as the State
board of health shall promulgate for his further guidance.

5. It shall be the duty of the Virginia State board of health:

(1) ‘To enforce the provisions of this act.

(2) To promulgate such rules and regulations as shall, under
this act, be necessary for the purpose of this act, and such as the
State board of health may deem necessary for the further and proper
euidance of local health officers. | .

(3) To provide for the gratuitous distribution of the scientific
prophylactic for inflammation of the eyes of the new-born, as desig-
nated in section three, together with proper directions for the use
and administration thereof, to all physicians and midwives as may
be engaged in the practice of obstetrics or assisting at. childbirth.

(4) To publish and promulgate such further advice and in-
formation concerning the dangers of inflammation of the eyes of
the new-born, and the necessity for prompt and effective treat-
ment.

(5) To furnish copies of this law to all physicians and mid-
Wives as may be engaged in the practice of obstetrics or assisting
at. childbirth.

(6) To keep a proper record of any and all cases of inflamma-
tion of the eyes of the new-born as shall be filed in the office of the
State board of health in pursuance of this law, and as may come to
their attention in any way, and to constitute such records ‘a part. of
the bi-ennial report to the governor and the legislature.

6. It shall be the duty of physicians, midwives, or other persons
in attendance upon a case of childbirth in a mater nity home, hospital,
public or charitable institution, in every infant’s eyes, within two
hours after birth, to use the prophylactic against inflammation of
the eyes of the new-born, specified in section three, and to make
record of the prophylactic used. It shall also be the duty of such
institution to maintain such records of cases of inflammation of the
eyes of the new-born as the State board of health shall direct.

¢. Whoever being a physician, surgeon, midwife, obstetrician,
nurse, manager, or person in charge of a maternity home or hos-
pital, parent, relative, or person attending upon or assisting at the
birth of any infant, violates any of the provisions of this act, shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof be
fined in a sum not less than ten dollars nor more than fifty dollars.

8. The sum of twenty-five hundred dollars shall be annually
appropriated for the use of the State board of health in enforcing
and carrying out the provisions of this act. Any and all necessary
and legitimate expenses that may be incurred in prosecuting a case
under this act shall, on proper showing, be met by the State board
of health out of this appropriation. In addition thereto, all fines
and penalties recovered hereunder, shall be paid into the State
treasury, and shall constitute a special fund for the use and pur-
poses of the State board of health, as herein enacted.