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
St Pancras 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, London, Borough of]
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32
PUERPERAL FEVER.
During 1913 12 cases of puerperal fever were notified, equal to an
incidence rate of 2'18 per 1,000 births.
Two deaths were registered from this disease during the year, giving a case
mortality of 16.8 per cent.
Nine of the cases followed the birth of live-born infants and three followed
abortions.
Three of the patients were primiparas (i.e. women who had not formerly
borne children), and nine multipara.
Other statistical details respecting the disease will be found on pages 23-26.
In the next table the cases are classified according to the manner in which the patients were attended in their confinements : —
| Midwives | 4 | 1434 | 3 |
| Medical Students | 0 | 1184 | 0 |
| In Hospital | 1 | — | — |
In view of the absence of cases in the practice of the medical students, it is
interesting to note that in 1912 there was a greater proportion of puerperal
fever per 1000 births amongst their cases than in the practice of doctors and
midwives.
The cases of puerperal fever were treated as follows : —
At home 5
In M.A.B. Hospitals 5
Other Hospitals 2
TUBERCULOSIS.
Notification.—In the early part of the year the compulsory notification of
Tuberculosis was governed by the Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations,
1908, the Public Health (Tuberculosis in Hospitals) Regulations, 1911,
and the Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1911. These provided
for the compulsory notification of all cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in
* One was notified as continued fever, but was found to be a case of puerperal fever and is thus
counted. 11 were actually notified as suffering from puerperal fever.