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Fever or Puerperal Pyrexia, to indicate whether any assistance
in dealing with the case is desired.
It will be observed that Article 13 of the Regulations
requires the Medical Officer of Health of any Local Authority
in London, who receives a notification of a case of Puerperal
Pyrexia, to send a copy of the notification within twelve
hours after its receipt, to the Metropolitan Asylum Managers.
This requirement already applies to notifications of cases of
Puerperal Fever by virtue of Section .55 (4) of the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891, and in this connection I am to
draw the attention of Metropolitan Borough Councils to
Circular 622 which was issued on the 14th September, 1925,
and to suggest that the attention of medical practitioners in
London should again be drawn to the special arrangements
described in that Circular which have been made by the
Metropolitan Asylum Managers for the treatment of cases
of Puerperal Fever.
FACILITIES FOR TREATMENT.
It will be realised that if the more complete notification is
to have practical value it should be supplemented by the provision,
when necessary, of facilities for assistance in diagnosis
and for the treatment of patients who are not able to secure
adequate treatment for themselves. These facilities can most
readily be provided by the Local Authorities which are
administering schemes under the Maternity and Child Welfare
Act, 1918, and it will be observed that provision is made
in Article 5 of the Regulations by which these Authorities will
receive prompt information of cases arising in the districts of
Sanitary Authorities which do not administer such schemes.
Maternity and Child Welfare Authorities are empowered,
with the sanction of the Minister, to make provision for the
special treatment of women suffering from Puerperal Pyrexia,
for consultation with an obstetric specialist, for skilled nursing,
or for institutional treatment; and it is important that
these Authorities and their Medical Officers of Health should
do all that is possible to meet the requests of medical practitioners
for special assistance for women suffering from Puerperal
Pyrexia which is, or is likely to be, serious in character,
in order that maternal mortality and morbidity from this
cause may be so far as possible prevented.
If special assistance from the Local Authority is desired,
the Medical Officer of Health should ask the medical practitioner
to supply him with further information which might
include some or all of the following points: —
1. Conditions in the patient, if any, prior to the
labour which might have been factors in producing the
F