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37
Dr. R. C. Townshend reports on the work of the
Maternity Clinic, as follows : —
I am glad to be able to report that a high average
attendance has been maintained during the year.
It is interesting to note that there has been no operation
for Caesarean section on any patient attending the AnteNatal
Clinic during the year.
With regard to the miscarriages, all occurred in
multigravidas, and with three exceptions, the patients were
treated by .their own doctor at home, or admitted to
hospital; in twb of the exceptions the patients attended
the Clinic and were referred to their own doctor, and in
the remaining case, the miscarriage was not reported until
some time after its occurrence.
With regard to the three premature births, in each
case the confinement took place in hospital. In one case
the mother had suffered from attacks of Rheumatic purpura
and haematuria throughout her pregnancy and the child
only lived twelve hours, and in the second case the premature
confinement was preceded by ante-partum haemorrhage
and the child only survived for six days; and in I he
third case there was no apparent cause for the prematurity,
but the child was brought up to the Infant Clinic at the
age of four weeks and is reported to be progressing
satisfactorily.
With regard to the still-birtlis, the following histories
are noteworthyIn three cases there was a history
of illness of the mother during pregnancy, namely, bronchitis,
bronchitis and pleurisy, and small-pox and antepartum
haemorrhage in the third case. Two patients gave
a history of a fall, and in one case the patient gave birth
to an anencephalic infant.
In two cases the child was born before the arrival
of the doctor or midwife in attendance.
In two cases there was a history of a severe shock to
the mother.
In one case the patient had two still-births during the
year, in each instance the confinement took place in hospital,
and in spite of investigation, no cause could be assigned.
In one case there was a history of mal-presentation
of the foetus, but in this case, the patient only attended
the Ante-Natal Clinic on one occasion at the fourth month,
as she transferred to another institution.