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65
to the Public Health Department's notice. 4 cases were removed
to hospital.

Puerperal Fever and Puerperal Pyrexia.
In October, 1926, Regulations as to the notification of
puerperal fever and puerperal pyrexia came into force.
Puerperal fever has been a notifiable disease in this country
for many years. The new Regulations, however, also require
the notification of all cases of pyrexia during the puerperium,
irrespective of the cause to which the fever may be attributed.
The expression puerperal pyrexia is defined as: —
"Any febrile condition (other than a condition which is
required to be notified as puerperal fever) occurring in a woman
within 21 days after childbirth or miscarriage in which a temperature
of 100.4 degrees F. (38 Centigrade) or more has been
sustained during a period of 24 hours or has recurred during that
period."
It is interesting to record that in the circular accompanying
the Regulations a statement is made that the Minister is advised
that it will ultimately be desirable to replace the term ''puerperal
fever "by the term" puerperal pyrexia," the latter being defined
in terms which involve no theory as to causation, but without
legislation amending the Infectious Disease (Notification) Acts
it is not practicable to substitute "puerperal pyrexia" for
puerperal fever as a disease notifiable under these Acts.
The attention of all medical practitioners resident or practising
in the Borough of Camberwell was drawn to the duties
imposed upon them by the Regulations, and the opportunity was
taken of reminding the doctors of the arrangements provided by
the Metropolitan Asylums Board for the institutional treatment
of puerperal fever.
The notification of these diseases must be made on forms
which are prescribed in the Schedules to the Regulations, and
afford facilities at the same time for a request to be made for a
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