[Report 1929] / Medical Officer of Health, Plymouth Borough.

  • Plymouth (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1929
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1929] / Medical Officer of Health, Plymouth Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    34/242 (page 26)
    of attack on a disease which is still only too prevalent in Plymouth, though in many cases in a modified form, namely, rickets. Expectant Mothers.—15. Eleven of these cases benefited from the irradiation, as judged by general feeling of well-being, improved appetite and sleep. In one, a twin pregnancy, the subsequent confinement was normal and easy, and at two months both children are still breast fed. One mother on the 1st exposure was found to be extremely hyper-sensitive to light and treatment, therefore dis¬ continued ; another who was suffering from asthma did not respond to ultra-violet light and was referred for other treatment. Pruritus vulvce was considerably relieved in one case. The technique adopted was gradual exposure of the whole body, back and front increasing to a maximum of seven minutes each way, twice weekly, at a distance of 24, with additional local exposures where considered necessary. Theoretically irradiation of the expectant mother should help to prevent rickets in her offspring, and the results of treatment in this direction will be watched with considerable interest. Puerperal Pyrexia and Puerperal Fever. Sixty-two cases were notified, 15 as puerperal fever (5 deaths) and 47 as puerperal pyrexia (5 deaths). Six (2 deaths) were cases of abortion. Sixteen cases (3 deaths) occurred in Maternity Homes. In 24 cases (1 death B.B.A.) the confinement was conducted by a midwife. In 32 cases (7 deaths) the confinement was conducted by a doctor, assisted in all but 3 cases by a qualified midwife. Thirty-two cases, including the abortions were treated in hospital. Thirty cases treated at home or in Maternity Homes include 1 severe septicaemia, 3 cases of bacillus coli infection of the urinary tract, 2 of acute puerperal endometritis, 8 of mastitis, 1 of pyelitis, 3 of local sepsis of a mild type, 1 of a moderately severe septicaemia, 1 of parametric abscess, 5 of influenza or chill, 1 of pulmonary tuberculosis, 1 of lobar pneumonia, 2 of bronchitis, and 1 of nephritis.