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Puerperal Fever and Puerperal Pyrexia.- Nine cases of
puerperal pyrexia were notified during the year, as against two in
1936, and 11 in 1935.
Six of the oases notified occurred in nursing homes in the
district, the remaining three occurring in the patients' own homes.
Two of the patients were removed to the Isolation Hospital, while
two were admitted to the Queen Charlotte's Isolation Block,
Hammersmith. Three deaths occurred, none within the district.
The services of Mr. Read, the Council's consulting gynaecologist,
were requisitioned on three occasions during the year.
An important alteration in the nomenclature of this disease
was made during 1937. Previously, puerperal infection was either
classified as fever or pyrexia, according to severity and nature of
infection. Under the provisions of the Public Health Act, 1936,
puerperal fever disappeared from the list of notifiable diseases on
October 1st, 1937, the position being thus simplified by the grouping
of all oases of puerperal infection under the heading " Puerperal
Pyrexia,"
Erysipelas.—Twenty-four cases of erysipelas were notified
during the year, as against 7 in 1936 and 23 in 1935. No deaths
occurred. Sixteen cases were removed to the Isolation Hospital.
It will be seen that the number of notifications rose considerably
during 1937 over those of the previous year, but. not to a
higher level than has been shown during several recent years.
The type of disease was definitely mild, and all cases admitted to
the Isolation Hospital responded readily to treatment.
Pneumonia.—Fifty-three cases of pneumonia were notified
during 1937, as against 34, 24 and 41 cases during the previous
three years. The age groups of these oases are interesting, and
were as follows:—
Under 5 years 5
5 to 10 years 5
10 to 15 years 3
15 to 20" 0
20 to 25 8
35 to 4511
45 to 65 ,, 13
Over 65 years 8
The abnormally high figure for pneumonia was due in part to
the second' phase of the influenzal epidemic of 1936/7, but there
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