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19
PUERPERAL PYREXIA.
This was brought into existence as a notifiable disease on the 1st October, 1926. It is defined
as:—
"Any febrile condition (other than a condition which is required to be notified as puerperal
fever) occurring in a woman within 21 days after childbirth or miscarriage in which a temperature
of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, or more, has been sustained during a period of 24 hours or
has recurred during that period.
The febrile condition referred to in the above definition may be due to any condition, and it may
be to some condition quite independent of the puerperal condition. It may, however, be the precursor
of the more serious condition known as puerperal fever, and it is with this in view that the numerous
conditions comprised under the term puerperal pyrexia are made notifiable.
Maternity and Child Welfare Authorities are also empowered, with the sanction of the Minister
of Health, to make provision for the special treatment of women suffering from puerperal pyrexia,
for consultation with an obstetric specialist, for skilled nursing and for institutional treatment, and
they are urged by the Minister of Health to do everything necessary and desirable in this respect.
After a survey of the needs of the Borough the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee of the
Council were of opinion that the services of an obstetric surgeon of consultant status should be available
for all parturient women who are unable to engage such services privately. Accordingly, the
Council, as a tentative measure retained the services of Mr. Aleck W. Bourne, F.R.C.S.(England),
Obstetric Surgeon to Out-patients, St. Mary's Hospital, to act in a consultative capacity. On one
occasion only during the year was the Consulting Obstetric Surgeon called in.
During the year 17 cases of puerperal pyrexia were notified, 9 of which occurred within or were
removed to an institution.
ERYSIPELAS.
Seventy-six cases were notified, 38 of which occurred within or were removed to hospitals.
ACUTE POLIO-MYELITIS.
This disease, commonly known as infantile paralysis, is of uncommon occurrence. It occasionally
shows evidence of being spread by personal infection and for this reason remains on the list of notifiable
diseases. As a matter of fact, its chief interest lies in its after-effects, deformities such as club-foot
often resulting. It is probable that many cases of this disease do not come to the knowledge of this
Department, but whenever possible observation is kept on the patient for many years with a view
to securing that the patient receives any necessary remedial treatment. In 1926, 3 cases of the disease
were reported, 1 of them being a public-school boy who developed the disease on returning to his home
after closure of the school owing to the existence of the disease at the school.
ACUTE POLIO-ENCEPHALITIS.
This obscure and rare disease is apparently of a similar nature to acute polio-myelitis. Only
2 cases were reported in 1924, none in 1925, and 3 in 1926.
ACUTE ENCEPHALITIS LETHARGICA.
Four cases of this disease were notified in 1926. This disease of the nervous system is only
occasionally infectious in the ordinary sense of the word. Although uncommon, it is an important
disease, in view of the fact that it is usually prolonged and progressive in its course, giving rise to
physical and mental deterioration.
CEREBRO-SPINAL FEVER.
Five cases of this disease were notified in 1926.
MALARIA.
One case of this disease was notified during 1926. The man was suffering from the disease
general paralysis of the insane, and was artificially inoculated with the infection of malaria as a means
of combating the more serious disease.
ACUTE PRIMARY PNEUMONIA, ACUTE INFLUENZAL PNEUMONIA.
One hundred and eighty-four cases of acute primary pneumonia were notified in the year 1926,
as compared with 265 cases in the year 1925, and 369 cases in the year 1924.
Seventy-six cases of acute influenzal pneumonia were notified in the year 1926, as compared
with 88 cases in the year 1925 and 87 cases in the year 1S24.