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medical attendance is advised in all cases, and nursing, free of cost, is
provided by the Council in suitable cases as required under the
Lambeth Nursing (Infectious Disease) Scheme.
Puerperal Sepsis or Fever.
Much attention is being paid to this disease, it being felt that, as a
preventive disease, it should be non-existent. 22 cases (10 deaths)
were notified, 4 connected with abortions and miscarriages and 18 out
of 7,782 total births notified—a comparatively small percentage,
especially having regard to the large lying-in Institutions and Maternity
Departments of Hospitals that exist in the Borough. At the same time,
this comparatively small number (22) is above the averages (yearly) for the
decennia 1891-1900 (18.9), 1901-10 (17.0), and 1911-1920 (21.8), as were
also the figures for the 3 years 1921, 1922, and 1923, viz.:—29, 31 and
48 respectively, due to more exact notification and diagnosis and having
regard to the fact that septicaemia following miscarriages and abortions
(at all stages) are now notifiable as well as septicemia arising after the
births of viable infants. The 1924 figure shows a decrease of over 50
per cent, as compared with the 1923 figure.
Lambeth Nursing (Infectious Diseases) Scheme.
Nursing in connection with Measles, German Measles, Whooping Cough,
Ophthalmia Neonatorum (and other forms), Epidemic Diarrhcca, Influenza,
acute Primary and Influen/jal Pneumonia, and certain other infectious
diseases (epidemic Cerebrospinal Meningitis, acute Polio-Myelitis,
and Polio-Encephalitis and acute Encephalitis Lethargica, etc).
The arrangements, which were made by the Council with wellknown
Nursing Associations for the nursing, free of cost, of patients
notfied or otherwise reported to be suffering from Measles and German
Measles, Whooping Cough, Ophthalmia Neonatorum (and other forms),
Influenza, acute Pneumonia (primary and influenzal), Epidemic Diarrhoea,
etc., if (and as) required by the Medical Officer of Health, and
which came into force on June 1st, 1918, in connection with the old
Inner Wards of the Borough, and on June 1st, 1919, in connection with
the old Outer Wards of the Borough, have again proved a success
during 1924. The following statistics for the 5 years 1920-1924,
setting out the total numbers of visits paid by nurses, speak for themselves
:- measles and German measles, 728, 206, 722, 297, and 518;
whooping cough, 255, 273, 488, 400, and 327; ophthalmia neonatorum
(and other forms), 2.341, 1,764, 986, 1,093, and 1,537; epidemic
diarrhcea, 57, 232, 5, 36, and 33 ; influenza, 343, 332, 474, 249, and
487 ; acute primary and influenzal pneumonia, 1,870, 2643, 3,586,
3,333, and 4,164: other diseases, 114, 11, 16, 186, and 187, making
totals of 5,708, 5,461, 6,277, 5,594 and l 7,253 visits paid respectively.
Of the itotal visits (7,253) paid during 1924, 4,160 were visits
to children under 5 years of age, i.e., 57.35 per cent., dealing with
measles and German measles, 443; whooping cough, 233 : ophthalmia
neonatorum (and other forms), 1,537; epidemic diarrhcea, 33; acute
primary and influenzal pneumonia. 1.729; epidemic cerebrospinal
meningitis, 2 : influenza, 112 , and chickenpox, 71.