Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lambeth Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
43
Visits to Children 1-5 (not included above) 545
Puerperal Pyrexia, 1st Visits 71
Do. Re-visits 41
Enlarged Tonsil and Adenoid Visits 40
Do. Re-visits 10
The work of the four health visitors is, in a sense, of a dual
nature. They act as a link between the voluntary welfare centres
and the Public Health Department on the one hand, and on the
other are responsible, each in one Parliamentary Division, for
visits to notified cases of ophthalmia neonatorum and puerperal
pyrexia, as well as for visiting all cases of measles not officially
notified. In addition they visit and report upon the home
conditions and preparations for the coming baby in all ante-natal
cases applying for admission to the Council's Maternity Home,
as well as for in-patient or out-patient treatment in confinement by
any hospital or lying-in home whose lady almoner writes for the
information. Their duties include the investigation of a number
of stillbirths and the deaths of young children, and the rendering
of help and advice generally in connection with cases of zymotic
enteritis, and they pay innumerable other visits for various purposes
of health instruction in the homes to those who do not fall into one
or other of the above categories.
Puerperal Fever and Puerperal Pyrexia.
The number of notifications of Puerperal Fever and Puerperal
Pyrexia received during the year was 95, of which 48 occurred in
primiparae, 37 in multiparae, while the parity of the remaining 10
was not ascertained.
The causes giving rise to the notifications are detailed in the
following table :—
Cause
Primiparae
Multiparae
Manual interference during parturition
15
11
4
Local uterine sepsis
13
6
7
Cystitis pyelitis, etc.
12
9
3
Septic abortion
10
2
8
Mastitis
10
7
3
Caesarean section
6
2
4
Influenza, etc.
5
2
3
Venereal disease
5
3
2
Septic conditions in pregnancy
4
3
1
Not known
3
2
1
Ante-natal advice not followed
2
1
1
Particulars not ascertained
10
—
—
Total
95
48
37