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48
Puerperal Fever and Puerperal Pyrexia.
Two cases of puerperal fever were notified during the year, giving a case rate of
0.02 per 1,000 population. There were no deaths. One case occurred in the practice
of a private practitioner, and in the other case a doctor was called in following an
abortion. Both cases were removed to hospital.
In the Borough provision is made for consultations under the Public Health
(Notification of Puerperal Fever and Puerperal Pyrexia) Regulations, 1926, and
during the year 1936 six such consultations were held.
During the year 23 cases of puerperal pyrexia were notified. Of the 23 cases, 21
were removed to hospital. The final diagnosis in these cases was as follows:—
Breast affections 3
Local uterine sepsis 2
Local uterine sepsis and cystitis 1
Pyelitis 3
Pyelitis and cystitis 2
Pyelitis and perinephritic abscess 1
Retention of lochia 2
Retention of placenta 1
Incomplete septic abortion 1
Bronchiectasis 1
Tuberculosis 1
Broncho pneumonia 1
Lobar pneumonia 1
Lacerated cervix and retained membranes 1
Local urinary infection 1
General constitutional disturbances 1
It will be apparent that a considerable proportion of the cases of puerperal
pyrexia, although not finally diagnosed as puerperal fever, were due to septic conditions
of the generative tract.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
This disease, the duty of notifying which was, under the Public Health (Ophthalmia
Neonatorum) Regulations, 1926, placed solely upon the medical practitioner in
charge of the case, consists of a purulent discharge from the eye of an infant occurring
within 21 days of birth.
In about 70 per cent. of cases the infection is gonorrhœal in nature, and in these
cases it is usually due to infection from the generative tract during birth. The ideal
method of treatment is removal of the child and the mother to hospital.