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 1919
Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1919
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76
PUERPERAL FEVER.
13 cases were notified during 1919, equal to an incidence rate of 3.4 per
1,000 births. 9 deaths occurred amongst these, giving a case mortality of
69 per cent.
10 cases followed the birth of live-born infants, and 3 the birth of a nonviable
fœtus.
7 of the patients were primiparæ (i.e., women who had not previously
borne children), and 6 multiparæ.
In 2 cases "instruments" were used at the confinement, including one fatal
case following an illegal operation performed by an unqualified woman.
In no case was there any obvious source of infection in the house.
In the following table the cases are classified according to the manner in which the patients were attended in their confinements :—
| Confinement attended by | No. of cases of Puerperal Fever. | Total number of births notified. | No. of cases pe 1000 births. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors | 4 | 1012 | 3.9 |
| Midwives from Institutions | 2 | 658 | 3.0 |
| Private Midwives | 3 | 859 | 3.5 |
| Medical Students | 1 | 799 | 1.3 |
| In Hospital | 2 | — | — |
| Unqualified Persons | 1 | — | — |
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM.
39 cases of ophthalmia neonatorum were notified during 1919, 33 by
doctors, 4 by midwives, and 2 by both. One of the cases was found to belong
to another district, and to have been notified there, the corrected number of
St. Pancras cases being therefore 38, or 9 9 per 1,000 births.
8 of the cases were regarded as grave, 17 as moderate, and 13 as slight.
6 of the cases have since died. 9 were illegitimate.
The cases are classified below according to the manner in which the mothers were attended at their confinement.
| Attended at birth by | No. of cases of ophthalmia Neonatorum. | Total number of births notified. | No. of oases per 1000 births notified. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors | 10 | 1012 | 9.9 |
| Midwives from Institutions | 3 | 658 | 4.6 |
| Private Midwives | 14 | 859 | 16.3 |
| Medical Students | 3 | 799 | 3.8 |
| In Hospitals and Institutions | 8 | — | — |
Every case was promptly visited, and where necessary advice and help was
given to secure prompt and adequate treatment.
A visiting nurse was called in in 13 cases. 13 cases were removed to hospital,