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1. Queen Charlotte's Hospital.
2. York Road General Lying-in Hospital.
3. City Road Lying-in Hospital.
4. The Mothers' Hospital.
5. St. Thomas's Hospital.
6. St. Margaret's Hospital.
The lectures were arranged by the London County Council and the
Middlesex County Council.
PUERPERAL PYREXIA.
During the year 23 cases of this condition were notified by Doctors
under the Public Health (Notification of Puerperal Fever and Puerperal
Pyrexia) Regulations of 1926 and 1928. The condition is defined under
the Regulations as "any febrile condition occurring in a woman within
21 days of childbirth or miscarriage, in which a temperature of 100.4
Fahrenheit or more has been sustained during a period of 24 hours or has
recurred during that period." The term "puerperal pyrexia" was
intended in 1926 to replace "puerperal fever," the object being to increase
the safety factor by ensuring the notification of all cases of pyrexia of a
certain degree whether due to puerperal causes or not. This required
special legislation, however, as "puerperal fever" was already notifiable
under the Infectious Diseases (Notifications) Acts, 1889-1899, to which
the above Regulations are supplementary. The opportunity was taken,
however, with the arrival of the Public Health Act, 1936, to omit
' 'puerperal fever'' from the list of diseases notifiable by Statute as distinct
from those notifiable under Regulations made by the Minister of Health.
The effect is that, except in London, where the Public Health Act, 1936.
does not apply, "puerperal fever" is no longer notifiable, but "puerperal
pyrexia" remains notifiable under the Public Health (Notification of
Puerperal Fever and Puerperal Pyrexia) Regulations, 1926. At the time
of writing, the Minister has issued new regulations to take the place of
those made in 1926 with a view to clearing up the confusion which now
exists. They are called the Puerperal Pyrexia Regulations, 1939, and
will come into force on April 1st, 1939. The definition of "puerperal
pyrexia" is the same as in the 1926 Regulations.
The following table shows the final result in each of the 23 cases of
puerperal pyrexia mentioned above:—