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93
Case No. 2. Aged 26 years.
Attended Borough Council's Pre-Maternity Clinic.
Died in hospital on 17th May from "nephritis of pregnancy—
14 days, uræmia."
Premature child born dead.
Case No. 3. Aged 26 years.
Died in nursing home on 9th August from "pelvic cellulitis
after child-birth, toxaemia, coma."
Still birth, 28th July.
Case No. 4. Aged 24 years.
Died in hospital on 24th September from "puerperal
septicæmia."
Case notified as puerperal fever on 30th July.
Live birth, 15th July.
Case No. 5. Aged 27 years.
Died in hospital on 1st November from "acute suppurative
tonsillitis and anaemia, following severe post-partum
hæmorrhage."
Live birth in nursing home on 6th October.
Patient returned home on 28th October.
Admitted to hospital on 31st October.
Though these maternal deaths may be said to represent the crowning
disaster in maternity, it is necessary to realise that they only
represent part of the great loss and suffering that may occur as the
result of child-bearing; there is the domestic disarrangement, and the
suffering among those mothers, who, while they do not succumb, are
handicapped by ill health afterwards. It has been estimated that for
every maternal death, at least 8 women suffer physical disability as
the result of child-bearing.
In the autumn of the year, an important step forward was taken
in the direction of preventing the regrettable mortality among childbearing
mothers by the inauguration of the Queen Charlotte's Maternity
Hospital and Training School Mother-Saving Campaign. The Metropolitan
Mayors and Mayoresses were urged to establish and support
Borough Committees for the purposes of awakening the public to the
continuing high maternal mortality, and of collecting funds towards
the Campaign as initiated by Queen Charlotte's Hospital. The movement
is of especial importance, as it includes the undertaking of research
work into the causation of puerperal fever, the chief cause of maternal
mortality.