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In one case the boy was ill 24 hours after the injection. He
had slight local and focal reactions with temperature of 101.4
degrees, vomiting, and headache. Tonsils, uvula and palate were
markedly congested, and 48 hours after the injection he showed all
the signs and symptoms of an acute tonsillitis. This would appear
to he a concomitant infection unconnected with the immunization.
No cases of Diphtheria have occurred during this period.
Although the results of immunization using one injection of
Diphtheria toxoid alum precipitated do not appear to be quite so
successful as those of Toxoid Antitoxin Mixture the total figures
available are not sufficiently large on which to base any final conclusions,
and the percentage success is sufficiently high to warrant a
continuance of this method.
The obvious advantages both in the saving of time and money
to doctor and patient are outstanding, and when the results from
a larger number of cases are available where it has been possible
to allow at least 3 months time to elapse before Schick Retesting
is carried out, the percentage success of fully immunized cases
will perhaps be sufficiently high for this method to displace the
previous one of three injections of Toxoid Antitoxin Mixture.
Excluding those cases referred to in the section dealing with
the Children's Infirmary of the Fidelis Convent, Central Hill,
Upper Norwood (with reference to Table II.) which is an entirely
enclosed community, it is interesting to note that although in most
of the Homes the boys and girls attend outside schools, yet no
cases of Diphtheria or positive nose and throat swabs have been
reported.
Thus the danger of the occurrence of "carriers," which in
theory is a very real one, proved in practice to be unfounded in
the series of cases reported upon above.
BOROUGH HOSPITAL.
Table V. gives a summary of all cases treated at the Hospital
during 1935. 1,452 patients were admitted and discharged during
the year, whilst including patients in at the commencement of 1935
(242), 1,694 cases were dealt with. Twenty-one died, giving a case
mortality for the whole Hospital of 1.4%, a decrease of 1.1% on
1934.
The average number of days of each patient in Hospital for all
classes of patients was 24.2 as against 28.5 in 1934. Penge Urban
District Council has an agreement with the Corporation to send
their cases to the Hospital During 1935 a total of 68 cases was
admitted, these are included in the Table.