London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1910
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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94
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1910.
with the notified cases so that it is possible to ascertain whether the latter terminate fatally. Of the 292
notified cases, 102 proved fatal, a case mortality of 35 per cent. Of the remaining deaths recorded,
8 were deaths in London institutions of women confined outside London, and probably notified as
puerperal fever in the district where the confinement took place. The other deaths were those of cases
which were not notified.
Early information of notification of cases of puerperal fever is received from the Metropolitan
Asylums Board or from the, borough medical officers, and I am indebted to the latter for information as to by whom the patient was delivered.
The following table gives the results of these inquiries which relate to the 292 notified cases and 60 deaths of cases not notified in London :—
| Delivery conducted by | Cases. | Deaths. |
|---|---|---|
| 219 | 99 | |
| 64 | 20 | |
| 10 | 3 | |
| 25 | 16 | |
| 9 | 5 | |
| (f) Cases of miscarriage or abortion where no attendant was engaged | 17 | 11 |
| (g) Cases where patient died in London, but was confined elsewhere | 8 | 8 |
| 352 | 162 |
The cause of death as stated in the death certificates in the 154 fatal cases where the deceased was confined in London is shown in the following table :—
| Cause of death. | Notified cases. | Unnotified cases. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puerperal septicaemia, toxaemia, and septic absorption | 70 | 16 | 86 (16) |
| Puerperal peritonitis | 5 | 18 | 23 (10) |
| Pyaemia | 7 | - | 7 |
| Sapræmia | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Septic pneumonia | - | 2 — » % | |
| Puerperal fever (not defined) | 5 | - | 5 (1) |
| Metritis, perimetritis, parametritis and endometritis | 4 | 2 | 6(3) |
| Toxaemia of pregnancy | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Infective endocarditis | 1 | - | 1 |
| Phlegmasia alba dolens | - | 2 | 2 |
| Post partum eclampsia | - | 1 | 1 |
| Pelvic cellulitis | - | 2 | 2 |
| Phlebitis after parturition | - 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Erysipelas after parturition | - ! | 1 | 1 |
| Puerperal mania | - | 1 | 1 |
| Septicaemia or peritonitis following extra—uterine | 2 | — | 2 |
| gestation | • | - | |
| Post partum haemorrhage | 2 | - | 2 |
| Salpingitis | 1 | - | 1 |
| 102 | 52 | 154 |
The number of fatal cases of puerperal fever which followed abortion or miscarriage was 30.
The classification of these cases is shown by the figures in brackets in the last column of the above
table.
The age incidence of the 352 cases was as follows :
| Total. | 15-20 | 20-25 | 25-30 | 30-35 | 35-40 | 40-15 | Over 45 | Age not given. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery cases | 190 | 7 | 36 | 56 | 38 | 29 | 14 | 1 | ||
| Fatal cases | 162 | 3 | 26 | 49 | 36 | 29 | 16 | 2 | 1 | |