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(e) Post-Natal Care.—Following the birth of a child efforts are made to see that
the mother is left with no residual disability which would affect her health or any
subsequent confinement.
(f) Gynaecological Clinic.—During 1934 facilities have been afforded for the
gynaecological examination of women.
Up to now, the existence of these facilities and the scope of their application
have not been fully realised.
When more extensive use is made of this service it is suggested that a weekly
session be held.
The primary object of the clinic is to enable ordinary women who believe
themselves to be in ordinary health to have a complete overhaul so that they may
rest assured that there are no signs of commencement of any serious conditions
from which women suffer. These conditions are often only apparent to the
ordinary average person in the later stages but can be detected by a trained person
in the early stages when they are usually easy to deal with.
At this clinic we hope that many women who have been delivered of their
babies will come some six or eight weeks after the baby has been born so that they
too may have the assurance that their pregnancy and parturition have left no
disability which might be aggravated as the years go by.
(g) Pemphigus Neonatorum.—It was proposed on the 11th May, 1934, that you
should make Pemphigus Neonatorum a notifiable infectious disease under the
Infectious Disease (Notification) Act, 1889, and the Council on the 29th May, 1934,
decided that this should be so, and the necessary steps were taken. We have
received two notifications of Pemphigus Neonatorum, which have been dealt with ;
both cases recovered. One other case which came to our notice prior to the date of
compulsory notification unfortunately died.
Pemphigus Neonatorum is a disease of the newly-born in which there is a
characteristic eruption of the skin.
(h) Maternal Mortality.—According to the return of the Registrar-General
there were during the year 1934 five deaths from puerperal causes—one death
from puerperal sepsis and four deaths from other puerperal causes. This gives a
rate of 3.82 per 1,000 total births.