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Most cases were very mild, definite pus being present in very
few cases, many of the others suffering only from a slight watery
discharge. A weakly premature infant in whom ophthalmia was
notified, died after a few days, the cause of death being "debility."
No cases were removed to hospital for treatment. Two cases were
treated at home by the District Nurses at a cost of £8 12s. 6d.
Pemphigus.
8 cases of Pemphigus were notified during the year, all of which
were midwives' cases to which the doctor had been called in by a
medical aid notice. 4 of these were mild cases which were treated
at home. 3 were admitted to Rush Green Isolation Hospital and
one to Oldchurch Hospital. This child was in 31 davs at a cost of
£12 3s. 0d. All cases recovered.
The onset of the eruption was in most cases before the tenth
day, the seventh and eighth days being the commonest. The
earliest eruption occurred on the third day and the latest on the
twelfth.
5 of the cases occurred in the first two months of the year and
2 in December. They occurred in the practice of different midwives,
none of whom had, during the year, more than one case.
Maternal Mortality.
There were 9 deaths due to pregnancy, of which 4 were due to
sepsis, giving a maternal mortality rate for sepsis of 1.86 and tor
other accidents and diseases of pregnancy and parturition a rate of
2.33, being a total rate of 4.20.
Of the fatal cases of septicaemia, one followed a self-induced
abortion, another was apparently due to an extension upwards ol a
septic infection of a tear caused by instrumental delivery of a case
which had no ante-natal supervision. The third case was a woman
who was immediately admitted to hospital on the occurrence of an
ante-partum haemorrhage due to central placenta praevia. The
haemorrhage was slight and the condition of the woman good,
the urgency of admission being on account of the child. A living
child was delivered and things went well till the fourth day, when
the lochia became offensive. This condition was improving when
the patient suddenly died from pulmonary embolism. T he other
case was also one who suffered from an ante-partum haemorrhage
due to a lateral placenta praevia. She was immediately admitte
to hospital.
Of the other deaths associated with pregnancy, few seem to
have been preventable. One case was a death from puhnonar)
tuberculosis accelerated by pregnancy and parturition.In one