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From the above table, it will be seen that five cases recovered without any injury to sight ;
and one case is still attending hospital.
Puerperal Fever.—During the year, ten cases of this disease were notified. One was treated
at home and recovered ; one was confined at home, subsequently removed to Queen Charlotte's
Hospital and recovered ; one was confined in St. Charles' Hospital and recovered ; four were
confined at home, subsequently removed to St. Charles' Hospital and recovered ; one was confined
at home, removed to St. Mary Abbots Hospital and recovered; one was confined at home, removed
to the Hammersmith Hospital and died ; and one was a Kensington woman, confined
in a nursing home in St. Marylebone, who died.
There were three deaths attributed to this disease, but in only one instance had a notification
been received.
Puerperal Pyrexia.—Forty.nine cases of puerperal pyrexia were notified during the year.
Twenty.seven occurred in hospitals to which the patients had been removed prior to their
confinements, and 23 in the homes of the patients. Of the 22 confined at home, 14 were subsequently
removed to hospital for treatment, whilst the remaining eight received attention in their own homes.
Five of the notified cases of puerperal pyrexia proved fatal. Two were confined in St. Mary
Abbotts Hospital and died there ; one was confined at home, removed to Queen Charlotte's
Hospital and died ; and one was confined in Oueen Charlotte's Hospital and died.
In 1936, the Ministry of Health issued the Public Health (Notification of Puerperal Fever
and Puerperal Pyrexia) Regulations, 1926, which provide for the more complete notification of
all cases of puerperal fever and puerperal pyrexia. In connection with these regulations, the
Minister of Health issued Circular 723, which suggested that notification should be supplemented,
when necessary, by facilities for assistance in diagnosis and for the treatment of patients who
are not able to secure adequate treatment for themselves.
The council have appointed Dr. A. Morris Johns, a consultant at Queen Charlotte's Hospital,
to the position of consulting gynaecologist and, in addition, Dr. Morris Johns undertakes the detailed
confidential enquiry into each maternal death occurring in Kensington, which the Minister of
Health has requested the borough council to carry out. For these services, Dr. Morris Johns receives
a fee of three guineas in respect of each case attended by him on behalf of the council as consultant
gynaecologist and one guinea for each enquiry into a maternal death. The fees for consulting work
amounted to £6 6s. Od., and for enquiry work to £13 13s. Od. in 1933.
Malaria.—One case of this disease was notified during the year, and investigations revealed
that the disease had been contracted in India.
Encephalitis Lethargica.—No case was reported in Kensington during 1933.
Poliomyelitis and Polio.Encephalitis.—One case of poliomyelitis was notified to the public
health department during the year 1933. The patient was a child aged 3 A years, who recovered.