London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Islington 1926
Seventy-first annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington
This page requires JavaScript
12
1926]
PUERPERAL FEVER.
Definition.—The Royal College of Physicians' definition of Puerperal Wvef
is : Septicaemia, Pyaemia, Septic Peritonitis, Septic Metritis, and other acute septic
inflammation in the pelvis occurring- as the direct result of child-birth.
Of the 32 cases coming to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health
during 1926, 27 were notified by Medical Practitioners. The proportion of total
cases to births was 4.9 per thousand. The notifications were five above the
average (22) of the preceding ten years and showed an increase of 1.03 in the
proportion of attacks to 1,000 births.
Cases of Puerperal Fever notified and inquired into during the year 1926.
| Tufnell. | Upper HoUo-way. | Toll-ington. | Lower Hollo-way. | Highbury. | Barns-bury. | South East. | The Borough | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases notified | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 27 |
| Private Practitioners' Cases | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 19 |
| Hospital Cases | — | — | 1 | — | 5 | 2 | — | 8 |
| Certified Midwives* Cases | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | 5 |
| Cases inquired into | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 32 |
| Cases treated in Hospital | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 28 |
| Cases treated at Home | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Of the 32 cases, 28 were treated in Hospitals. Four of these contractedi the
disease in Hospital; 13 cases were removed to Metropolitan Asylums Board
Hospitals; and 11 cases were removed to other London Hospitals.
Deaths.—Eleven deaths were registered as being due to Puerperal Fever,
but two of these were notified as Puerperal Pyrexia.
PUERPERAL PYREXIA.
The Notification of Puerperal Pyrexia Regulations, 1926; made by the
Ministry of Health, which came into operation on the 1st October, 1926, resulted
in 26 cases being notified. Of these, 12 were Private Medical Practitioners'
cases; 8 occurred' in Hospital, while 6 were Certified Midwives' cases. The
notifications were in the proportion of 4 per 1,000 births.
Two patients subsequently died from Puerperal Fever.
Cases of Puerperal Pyrexia notified and inquired into during the year 1926.
| Private Praclitioners'Cases | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| Hospital Cases | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | 8 | |
| Certified Midwives' Ca^es | — | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | 6 |
| Cases Inquired into | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 26 |
| Caies treated in Hospital | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 19 |
| Cases treated at Home | — | — | — | 4 | — | 1 | 2 | 7 |