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fever, from a house in the Winstanley Ward. The mother had been
ill for some 3 weeks suffering from what was thought to be influenza
and was waited on by a married daughter who with her
husband and one child age 4 resided in the Nine Elms Ward, at the
other end of the Borough. Subsequently this daughter and her child
developed (3 weeks later) typhoid fever and were removed to
hospital.
These multiple cases occurring in families help to swell the total
of cases of enteric fever notified during the year. It is satisfactory,
notwithstanding, as will be seen from a glance at the table, showing
the incidence, case-rates and fatality-rates during the past 10 years
in the Borough, that the disease is comparatively speaking rare
in Battersea.
Puerperal Fever.
During 1910, in the Borough of Battersea, 16 cases of puerperal
fever were notified and 6 deaths were registered from the disease,
giving a case-mortality of 37 per cent. The case-rate was .08 or .02
above the mean case-rate for the preceding ten years. The death-rate
was .03 per 1,000 and was equal to the decennial average. The
death-rate for London was .03 per 1,000 population. Three deaths
occurred in East Battersea, two in North-West and one in Southwest
Battersea.
In 1909, 14 cases of puerperal fever were notified in Battersea
and 7 deaths were registered from the disease, giving a case-mortalitv
of 50.0 per cent. and a death rate of .03 per 1,000 population.
Puerperal fever is a preventable disease and is caused by want
of care by those in attendance on the lying-in woman. During
1910, 4,489 births were registered in or belonging to Battersea.
The mortality statistics therefore for the disease are on the whole
satisfactory. In all cases of puerperal fever notified to the Medical
Officer of Health, enquiries are at once made and the midwife or
nurse in attendance are visited at their homes. Arrangements are
immediately made for the personal attendance of the midwife at
the Shelter, Sheepcote Lane, where she is provided with a sanitary
bath and has her clothing, instruments, &c., sterilised by steam at
the Disinfecting Station adjoining. Cases are at once reported to
the London County Council, who are the local supervising authority
under the Midwives Act, 1902. The duty of disinfection, however,
devolves on the Borough Council as the local Sanitary Authority.
Nurses and midwives who had been in attendance on puerperal
fever cases during the year attended at the Shelter for purposes of
disinfection.