308 



Dr. E. Rigby, senior physician to the General Lying-in-Hospital 

 in the York-road, Lambeth, in answer to the sewer commissioners, 

 states that "Puerperal fever still continued to make its appearance 

 from time to time, and occasionally with great severity. As the phy- 

 sicians were dissatisfied with the existing means of ventilating the 

 wards to such an extent as could be done with safety to the patients, 

 and as it was found that, unless quickly changed, the air becomes 

 speedily loaded with effluvia, it was deemed advisable in April, 1842, 

 to adopt Dr. Reid's plan of ventilation. 



" When this new plan came into operation, much opposition was 

 experienced from the female attendants, and great difficulty in pre- 

 venting them from closing the different valves for admitting fresh, 

 and emitting foul air. In November, 1842, during a moist and un- 

 usually warm state of the atmosphere for that season of the year, I 

 found, on visiting the hospital one evening, that the air of one ward, 

 which had its full number of patients, all of whom had been recently 

 delivered, was exceedingly close and oppressive, and the thermometer 

 at 75°, and it was stated to have been even so high as 78°; the' air 

 had a decidedly sour smell, and was evidently much loaded with 

 effluvia. This improper state of things had been produced by clos- 

 ing the valves, and cutting off the ventilation in defiance of my 

 strict orders to the contrary. I strongly remonstrated, declaring 

 that puerperal fever would appear in twenty -four hours. In eighteen 

 hours I was called to see a woman with symptoms of the disease in 

 that ward; she died, and several other women in the same ward were 

 also attacked. In July two of my own pupils became house sur- 

 geons to the establishment, gentlemen in whom I placed the fullest 

 confidence, and who carried out my orders respecting the ventilation 

 of the wards, in spite of much opposition and personal annoyance. 

 From that moment we have not had a case of puerperal fever ; pa- 

 tients have been admitted broken clown by poverty and misery, 

 severe and dangerous labours have occurred amongst them, and 

 there has been every possible variety of weather, but up to the pre- 

 sent time, since July, there has not occurred the slightest trace of 

 puerperal fever."* 



The testimony of these two gentlemen, who stand deservedly high 

 in their different branches of the profession, is here adduced, in order 

 to show that two of the most alarming and fatal scourges of humanity, 

 typhus and puerperal fevers, are intimately connected with, and in 



* First Report of Com. of Large Towns, p. 413. 



