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34
The actual dental work accomplished consisted of permanent
fillings to 281 teeth, scaling of the teeth in 65 cases, extractions
of 1,877 teeth and other treatments 103. Full or partial artificial
dentures were supplied to 108 mothers.
This work may be comparatively small in extent but it is
growing not only in amount but in acceptance by the mothers.
It is work of first importance not only from the aspect of immediate
personal health but from its relation to health education.
MATERNAL MORTALITY.
Seven deaths due to or consequent upon childbirth occurred
during the year.
The following are the causes of maternal deaths:-
1. Cerebral embolism.
2. Cerebral haemorrhage.
3. Pulmonary embolism (P.M.).
4. Septicaemia—acute nephritis—empyema (P.M.).
5. Puerperal fever—pelvic cellulitis—perineal laceration.
6. Eclampsia—haemorrhage and shock—rigid cervix—
breech delivery.
7. Haemorrhage—placenta praevia.
Detailed enquiry of the first four cases show that death was
unavoidable. In three cases sudden death occurred from embolism
or cerebral haemorrhage, and in the fourth case, death was due to
septicaemia following on empyema, the condition being aggravated
by pregnancy and premature labour.
Of the remaining three cases, details are known of two. The
case of death from eclampsia was seen several times at the ante-natal
clinic, and the last time within a fortnight of delivery. Although
the patient suffered from minor discomforts, there had been no
cause for alarm, so it appears probable that the eclampsia was of
the unexpected, fulminating type. The death from puerperal
fever was preventable. This was in all probability due to infection
from the septic finger of a friend, who slept with the patient during
the puerperium.