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43
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. 27 cases (5 deaths)
were notified, 5 connected with abortions and miscarriages and 22 others
out of 7,734 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 (27) is above the averages (yearly) for the
decennia 1891-1900 (18.9), 1901-10 (17.0), and 1911-1920 (21.8), as is
also the figure for the previous quinquennium 1920-1924, viz.: 32.6,
results that are probably to be explained by more exact notification
and diagnosis and the fact that septicaemia following miscarriages and
abortions (at all stages) are now notifiable as well as septicaemia
arising after the births of viable infants.
Lambeth Nursing (Infectious Diseases) Scheme.
Nursing in connection with Measles, German Measles, Whooping Cough,
Ophthalmia Neonatorum (and other forms), Epidemic Diarrhoea, Influenza,
acute Primary and Influenzal 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 Diarrhœa,
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 1925. The following statistics for the 6 years 1920-1925,
setting out the total numbers of visits paid by nurses, speak for themselves
:—measles and German measles, 728, 206, 722, 297, 518, and 63;
whooping cough, 255, 273, 488, 400,, 327 and 264; ophthalmia neonatorum
(and other forms), 2,341, 1,764, 986, 1,093, 1,537, and 1,379;
epidemic diarrhœa, 57, 232, 5, 36, 33 and 30; influenza, 343, 332,
474, 249, 487, and 346; acute primary and influenzal pneumonia,
1,870, 2643, 3,586, 3,333, 4.164, and 4430; other diseases, 114, 11,
16, 186, 187, and 106, making totals of 5,708, 5,461, 6,277, 5,594,
7,253, and 6,618 visits paid respectively.
Of the total visits (6,618) paid during 1925, 2,876 were visits
to children under 5 years of age, i.e., 43.38 per cent., dealing with
measles and German measles, 63; whooping cough, 234; ophthalmia
neonatorum (and other forms), 1,379; epidemic diarrhœa, 30; acute
primary and influenzal pneumonia (and other forms), 1,154; erysipelas
6; and chickenpox, 10.