London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Islington 1927
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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12
1927]
PUERPERAL FEVER.
Definition.—The Royal College of Physicians' definition of Puerperal Fever
is : Septicemia, Pyaemia, Septic Peritonitis, Septic Metritis, and other acute septic
inflammation in the pelvis occurring as the direct result of child-birth.
Of the 34 cases coming to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health
during 1927, 33 were notified by Medical Practitioners. The proportion of total
cases to births was 5.5 per thousand. The notifications were 12 above the
average (22) of the preceding ten years and showed an increase of 2.3 in the
proportion of attacks to 1,000 births.
Cases of Puerperal Fever notified and inquired into during the year 1927.
| Tufnell. | Upper Hollo-way. | Toll-ington. | Lower Hollo-way. | Highbury. | Barns-bury. | South-East. | The Borough | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | — | — | ||||||
| — | — | — | ||||||
| - | - | - |
Of the 34 cases, 29 were treated in Hospitals. Seven of these contracted the
disease in Hospital; 11 cases were removed to Metropolitan Asylums Board
Hospitals; and 18 cases were removed to the Islington Infirmary and other London
Hospitals.
Deaths.—Twelve deaths were registered as being due to Puerperal Fever,
but of these, four cases were notified as Puerperal Pyrexia.
PUERPERAL PYREXIA.
The Notification of Puerperal Pyrexia Regulations, 1926; made by the
Ministry of Health, which came into operation on the 1st October, 1926, resulted
in 84 cases being notified. Of these, 35 were Private Medical Practitioners'
cases; 43 occurred in Hospital, while 6 were Certified Midwives' cases. The
notifications were in the proportion of 13.7 per 1,000 births.
Four patients subsequently died from Pueperal Fever.
| Tufnell. | Upper Hollo way. | Toll-ington. | Lower Hollo-way, | Highbury. | Barns-bury. | South-East. | The Borough | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | ||||||
| - |
In connection with research into the cases of Puerperal Fever and Puerperal
Pyrexia, the Metropolitan Asylums Board have very kindly offered facilities for
examination of swabs taken from persons who have been in attendance on confinement
cases. The following is the circular which was issued by the Medical
Officer of Health to medical practitioners in the Borough:—