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31
that of a man having no fixed residence who died in the
Western Fever Hospital, to which he had been removed
from Wandsworth Prison.
In 2 cases the infection was contracted outside
the borough.
Six patients had eaten shellfish—5, oysters, and 1,
cockles—within a fortnight of the commencement of the
illness.
Puerperal Fever.
Of puerperal septicaemia 30 cases were notified during
the year, or 7.4 per 1,000 births, of which 7 or 1.7 per
1,000 births proved fatal. For the third year in
succession, more cases were notified in Fulham in proportion
to the population than in any other metropolitan
borough.
Sixteen of the cases were attended by midwives and
14 by medical practitioners.
Five patients were notified on March 19th, who had
been attended by the same midwife, one of whom died.
Disinfection of the person, clothing and apparatus of
the midwives and nurses who had been in attendance
was carried out in all cases, and the midwife in whose
practice the five cases occurred discontinued work for
four weeks.
Hospital accommodation for cases of Puerperal Fever.
On August 12th, the Local Government Board
made an Order empowering the Managers of the
Metropolitan Asylums Board to admit into their hospitals,
on the recommendation of the Medical Officer of Health,
any person who is not a pauper believed to be
suffering from puerperal fever, provided that more
accommodation is available than is required for the
reception of pauper patients suffering from puerperal
fever.
Of the 30 cases reported in 1912, 22 were admitted
into Fulham Infirmary and one into the Western Hospital.