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27
Pemphigus.
During the year, there were eleven notifications of
children suffering from Pemphigus, five of whom were
removed to hospital and the remainder treated at home;
all recovered.
For some years Pemphigus Neonatorum has not given
rise to severe clinical symptoms. It is highly infectious
and causes considerable disorganisation in the midwifery
service owing to the fact that when a midwife has been
in contact with a case, it is necessary to prohibit her from
visiting other cases, and to remain off duty for a period
after she has been in contact. It may be almost regarded
as "a nuisance disease," but it cannot be staled definitely
that it will not revert to a more malignant type.
At one time it was regarded very seriously and a high
mortality was experienced.
Maternal Mortality.
One maternal death was assigned to this district,
which gives a maternal mortality rate of .63 per thousand
births. This is a remarkably low figure, that for England
and Wales for the corresponding period was 2.53,
which also is low. It is not so many years since a figure
of 5 per thousand was regarded as an average.
Work of Health Visitors.
The following table shows the number of visits paid
by the Health Visitors during the year:-—
(a) To expectant mothersFirst visits 3(30
Total visits 552
(b) To children under one year of age First visits 1,597
Total visits 6,005
(c) To children between the ages Total visits 16,288
of one and five years
(d) Ineffective visits Total visits 2,788
Grand Total 25,633