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32
Although there has been a vast improvement in 1926, this table
shews a very unsatisfactory state of affairs, and proves that Pneumonia
is not being notified as it ought to be. All cases of Pneumonia do
not die. If a case of Pneumonia is not notified, one cannot make
enquiries as to presence or absence of nursing assistance, home helps,
environment, etc.

There were ten cases of Puerperal Fever and five of Puerperal
Pyrexia during the year. Puerperal Pyrexia became notifiable on
1st October, 1926.
As regards the former, seven of the cases were removed to hospital,
where two of them died. In three cases there was nothing to account
for the fever, the confinements having been normal. Two of the
remaining seven were associated with a miscarriage, and in one, death
occurred from septic endometitis, an inquest being held. Uterine inertia
with adherent placenta was associated with two others. In the eighth
and ninth cases a stitch was necessary for ruptured perinaeum (and in
the latter case the baby was born before professional assistance arrived).
In the tenth case, which ended fatally, stitches had been necessary.
Dr. Gilliatt, the Council's consultant, was called in, and the bacteriologist
recovered streptococci from a uterine swab, the blood being
negative. The midwife who assisted the doctor was unqualified;
she took the temperature at first, after the confinement, but the
thermometer broke and was not replaced ; no chart was kept.
Respecting the Puerperal Pyrexia cases, in the first case the baby
was born before the arrival of professional assistance. The mother
rose and worked on the sixth day; she took ill on the tenth day. The
bedroom and bedding were dirty; she recovered in hospital. In the
second case, the temperature rose to 102 on the ninth day and a doctor
was called in for the first time on the tenth day. The only point that