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46
and died about 3 hours after delivery. A grave error of
judgment appears to have occurred in this case. Both
mother and child might have been saved if induction had
been performed at the proper time or a Cæsarian section
at Term.
The other three cases did not attend the Borough antenatal
clinic and, so far as can be ascertained, one had no
ante-natal care of any sort.
One of these patients was only seen on two occasions by
a midwife.
One died from eclampsia after induction at Hammersmith
Hospital after everything possible had been done
for her.
The third mother was admitted as an emergency to
Fulham Hospital. She was not aware that she was
pregnant; ruptured ectopic pregnancy was diagnosed and
an operation performed, but unfortunately the patient died
from hæmorrhage.
The fourth mother had her baby at home. She died
from puerperal peritonitis following rupture of the uterus.
The ante-natal clinics numbered seven at the end of the
year.
By arrangement with the staff at the Hammersmith
Hospital all cases that need consultation are referred to
that institution, where the mother is admitted for observation
if necessary, or other appropriate measures are taken
to provide for her welfare.
The number of patients booking beds at the hospital
has become so great that it has been found impossible to
supervise them all throughout the whole of their ante-natal
period at the hospital clinics. By arrangement, most of
these are now referred to the Borough clinics, where they
are seen and carefully looked after until the 36th week
and subsequently until they are admitted to the hospital
for confinement.