Part 9

Table XIV. shows that the total mortality in this hospital has been 10·1 per 1,000. Of the total deaths 27 are attributed to diseases and accidents of childbirth, affording a mortality of 8·8 per 1,000, or double that of the healthy districts of England.

If we exclude Aldershot as being unfit for childbirth cases, we find that in the other seven hospitals the total mortality, as shown in Table XIV., has been 7·4 per 1,000. The mortality from puerperal diseases in these hospitals has been 2·7 per 1,000, and from diseases and accidents of childbirth 5·4 per 1,000.

Table XIV. ┌────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ All Women’s Hospitals (Military) │ ├────────────┼──────────┬──────────┬────────────┬──────────┬──────────┤ │ │ Puerperal│ Accidents│Diseases and│ Others│ Total│ │ │ Diseases│ of│Accidents of│ │ Mortality│ │ │ │Childbirth│ Childbirth│ │ │ ├────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼────────────┼──────────┼──────────┤ │Deaths per │ 3·9│ 3·4│ 7·3│ 1·5│ 8·8│ │ 1,000 │ │ │ │ │ │ │ deliveries│ │ │ │ │ │ ├────────────┴──────────┴──────────┴────────────┴──────────┴──────────┤ │ │ ├────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ Aldershot Women’s Hospital │ ├────────────┼──────────┬──────────┬────────────┬──────────┬──────────┤ │ │ Puerperal│ Accidents│Diseases and│ Others│ Total│ │ │ Diseases│ of│Accidents of│ │ Mortality│ │ │ │Childbirth│ Childbirth│ │ │ ├────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼────────────┼──────────┼──────────┤ │Deaths per │ 4·9│ 3·9│ 8·8│ 1·3│ 10·1│ │ 1,000 │ │ │ │ │ │ │ deliveries│ │ │ │ │ │ ├────────────┴──────────┴──────────┴────────────┴──────────┴──────────┤ │ │ ├────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ Other Women’s Hospitals, excluding Aldershot │ ├────────────┼──────────┬──────────┬────────────┬──────────┬──────────┤ │ │ Puerperal│ Accidents│Diseases and│ Others│ Total│ │ │ Diseases│ of│Accidents of│ │ Mortality│ │ │ │Childbirth│ Childbirth│ │ │ ├────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼────────────┼──────────┼──────────┤ │Deaths per │ 2·7│ 2·7│ 5·4│ 2·0│ 7·4│ │ 1,000 │ │ │ │ │ │ │ deliveries│ │ │ │ │ │ └────────────┴──────────┴──────────┴────────────┴──────────┴──────────┘

There are two camp hospitals for lying-in cases, consisting only of wooden huts, appropriated for the purpose, which have yielded very important experience. One of these is at Colchester, the other at Shorncliffe.

The Shorncliffe Hospital is an old wooden hut of the simplest construction, with thorough ventilation. It is situated on a rising ground close to the sea, and facing it, so that the sea breeze sweeps right through it. It is scarcely more than a makeshift. And here are the results.

Table IV. shows that up to December 1869, there had been 702 deliveries in the hut, among which there was one death from scarlet fever, and one from hæmorrhage, besides two deaths following on craniotomy. There was not a single death from any puerperal disease.

Colchester Lying-in Hospital, of which a plan and section are given on Plate II., is nothing more than an ordinary officer’s wooden hut, divided by partitions into four compartments, with a transverse passage cutting them off from each other. This hut has been in use for a considerable number of years as a place of lying-in for soldiers’ wives living in the camp, and there have been altogether between 500 and 600 deliveries in it. The matron states that during the whole time the hut has been in use for its present purpose, no death has taken place in it. But as statistics have only been kept since 1865, we shall limit our attention to them. They show that, up to the end of October 1870, there had been 252 registered deliveries, and no deaths.

PLAN II

SECTION ON LINE A.B.

Scale of Feet

PLAN OF WOODEN LYING-IN HUT COLCHESTER CAMP.

v. Foul air outlets. ]

The results of these two makeshift hospitals, when compared with the figures already given for lying-in establishments generally, are certainly remarkable. They are both detached buildings, having no connection with any general hospital. Their construction ensures a plentiful supply of fresh air at all times. They contain very few beds, and these beds are occupied, seldom or never, all at one time. Indeed, it is stated that in the Colchester hut there is scarcely more than one, or at most two beds, constantly occupied throughout the year. Also, soldiers’ wives lying-in rarely remain more than ten days, though sometimes twelve in hospital. There is, therefore, no crowding; scrupulous cleanliness is observed; there are no sources of putrid miasm in or near the lying-in huts; and they have their own attendants. The data in Table IV. show that there have been 954 registered deliveries in the two huts, and four deaths, of which three were due to puerperal accidents, and none to puerperal diseases.

PROPOSED HOSPITAL FOR WOMEN, PORTSMOUTH. ]

A. Wards.

B. Spare Wards.

C. Sculleries.

D. Nurses.

E. Lavatories.

F. Linen.

G. Baths.

H. Kitchen.

I. Cook’s Room.

K. Store.

L. Medical Comforts.

M. Store.

N. Coals.

Proposed new Female Hospital at Portsmouth.—When military female hospitals were first designed, it was intended that they should receive only lying-in and general cases from married soldiers’ families in separate pavilions. But at a subsequent date zymotic cases were admitted into the same pavilion with general cases. Very decided objections were, however, urged against this step by medical officers, and the next hospital planned was divided into three distinct pavilions. It was intended for Portsmouth garrison, and is shown in the annexed figure.