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1929] 12
MATERNAL MORTALITY.
The scheme outlined on page 13 of last year's Annual Report has been
pursued this year. Exhaustive confidential enquiries have been made into every
maternal death and confidential reports have been sent to the Secretary of the
Maternal Mortality Committee, set up by the Ministry of Health. This central
Committee will later issue a report generally upon any facts and conclusions
derived from the investigations received throughout the country.
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 1929, 15 were notified by Medical Practitioners. The proportion of total
cases to births was 6.9 per thousand. The notifications were 10 above the average
(28) of the preceding ten years and showed an increase of 2.9 in the proportion of
attacks to 1,000 births.

All of the 38 cases were treated in Hospitals. 12 of these contracted the
disease in Hospital; 15 cases were removed to Metropolitan Asylums Board
Hospitals; and 23 cases were removed to the Islington Infirmary and other London
Hospitals.
Deaths.—14 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 88 cases being notified, as against 77 last year. Of these, 29 were Private
Medical Practitioners' cases; 50 occurred in Hospital, while 9 were certified
Midwives' cases. The notifications were in the proportion of 12.6 per 1,000 births.