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[1923
13
MATERNAL MORTALITY.
Towards the end of the year the medical practitioners of the Borough were
circularised on the matter of their co-operation in supplying confidential particulars
in cases of maternal deaths. To each doctor was sent an explanatory note by Sir
George Newman, together with a copy of the form on the lines of which information
was desired by the Ministry of Health. This information would afterwards
be classified and " considered by some competent body which will issue a report
upon any facts and conclusions derived from the investigation."
PUERPERAL FEVER.
Definition.—The Royal College of Physicians' definition of Puerperal Fever
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 38 cases coming to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health
during 1928, 13 were notified by Medical Practitioners. The proportion of total
cases to births was 6.5 per thousand. The notifications were 14 above the
average (24) of the preceding ten years and showed an increase of 3.1 in the
proportion of attacks to 1,000 births.

Of the 38 cases, 25 were treated in Hospitals. 18 of these contracted the
disease in Hospital; 13 cases were removed to Metropolitan Asylums Board
Hospitals; and 12 cases were removed to the Islington Infirmary and other London
Hospitals.
Deaths.—Ten deaths were registered as being due to Puerperal Fever.
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 77 cases being notified, as against 84 last year. Of these, 20 were Private
Medical Practitioners' cases; 37 occurred in Hospital, while 20 were certified
Midwives' cases. The notifications were in the proportion of 13.3 per 1,000
births.