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42
As regards Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria in 1893,
the large number of cases caused the Hospitals to be
full for so long, that many cases which would otherwise
have been admitted, had to be treated at home;
and in respect of Enteric Fever, arrangements for
admission to General Hospitals have been in force
since 1891, to relieve the pressure in the Asylum
Board's Hospitals.
Since the Hospitals were first opened, there have
been admitted 81,350 cases of Scarlet Fever, with a
case mortality of 8.0 per cent.; of Diphtheria—
including Membranous Croup, 11,598 cases, with a
mortality of 30.3; of Enteric (or Typhoid) Fever,
9,233 cases, mortality 17.4; and of Typhus Fever,
2,166 cases, mortality 20.2.
During the last year, for the purpose of verifying
diagnosis and fixing the time for safe discharge,
systematic examinations of the membrane, etc., from
the throats of diphtheria patients, for the determination
of the micro-organisms present, have been
inaugurated. The treatment of this disease by
means of antitoxin was commenced in October last,
but no statistics of the results of the new treatment
were included in the Report.
Of the 16,667 patients admitted during the year,
864, or 5.2 per cent., were found to be suffering
from diseases other than those shown on the certificates
under which the patients were admitted.