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In two instances there was unnecessary delay in forwarding the
certificates, and fees for the same were disallowed by the Sanitary
Committee. In one instance the certificate was returned to the
Medical Practitioner as the address given was outside Bethnal
Green. In another case the medical attendant inadvertently notified
the same case twice over, and the second certificate was
returned.
A medical man was prosecuted for failing to notify as puerperal
fever a fatal case of peritonitis following labour. The particulars of
this case were detailed in my last annual report, and it will probably
be remembered that the magistrate dismissed the summons on the
ground that he was not satisfied, from the evidence produced, that
the woman had suffered from puerperal fever; neither did he consider
that we had proved that the death certificate was written by
the defendant.
In view of the uncertainty that exists as to what diseases should
be reported as puerperal fever, the Vestry resolved to request the
London County Council to add to the diseases included in Sec. 55 (b),
the names of those diseases which are usually considered to be due
to septic infection during the puerperal state.
To this application the following reply was received :—
London County Council,
Spring Gardens, S.W.
1st December, 1898.
Sir,
I am directed to forward, for the information of your
Vestry, the enclosed copy of a report of the Public Health
Committee on the subject of the diseases which should be regarded
as being included in the term "puerperal fever" for the
purposes of section 55 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
The report was submitted to and adopted by the Council at its
meeting on the 29th ultimo, and in accordance with its resolution
I am directed to state that the Council is advised that the diseases
c