View report page

5
by antitoxine is still on its trial; but so far there seems to be
good ground for hoping that in it there has been discovered,
at any rate, a most valuable help in the treatment of this
disease. It should certainly be given a fair trial in all
severe cases of diphtheria and diphtheric croup, and the
earlier it is used the more chance there seems of its being
successful. It is my intention to ask all the medical men
in this District to send me intimation of their use of this
treatment and its result. Thus the result in cases in private
practice may be known as well as in those treated in Hospital.
At present the Hospital cases treated by antitoxine
appear to have much benefited by this treatment, and many
cases have recovered which would generally have proved
hopeless. More time and a larger number of cases, however,
is necessary before we can look upon antitoxine as a certain
specific in diphtheria.
Small-pox.
There were 8 notifications of this disease with no
deaths in 1894, as compared with 28 notifications and 5
deaths in 1893. Most of these 8 cases were mitigated smallpox,
and I believe the cessation of the epidemic was owing
to the great increase in the number of revaccinations. I
have been allowed by the Board to use the Hither-green
Fever Hospital as an isolation hospital in small-pox cases, as
it is now no longer used as a hospital. Thus, in all cases of
small-pox, the friends of the patient, or all those who have
been in contact with him, can be isolated till they are proved
not to have contracted the disease. This, however, can only
be done with their free consent; but, so far, I have found