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1899] 142
FATALITY FROM THE NOTIFIABLE INFECTIOUS
DISEASES.
Out of 2,943 notified cases of Infectious Disease 254 died.
These represent a fatality of 8.6 per ccnt.
1,039 cases, exclusive of the Cholera infantum cases, remained
at home to be nursed, while 1,094 were treated in Hospitals. Of the
former 117 died, or 11.8 per cent.; and of the latter 121, or only 6.3
per cent. Thus the fatality among hospital cases was barely more
than half of that which occurred in the home cases. This is a very
strong argument for the treatment, whenever it is possible, of
infectious diseases in hospitals for the patients' sake, even if there
were objections on the part of the parents or guardians to have
them taken there for the purpose of isolation and the protection of
the public.
Exclusive of the cases of Cholera Infantum, 1,039 patients, or
35.9 per cent. of all the cases (2,940), were treated at home, while
1,901, or 64.1 per cent., were conveyed to hospital.
Of the more infectious diseases such as Small Pox, Scarlet Fever,
Diphtheria (inclusive of Membranous Croup) and Enteric Fever
(inclusive of Continued Fever) 71*1 per cent. were afforded the
advantages of hospital treatment, while 28.9 were retained at home.
The difference between the results of the home treatment and
the hospital treatment of Scarlet Fever was very marked, for whereas
3.6 per cent. of the former died only 1.7 of the latter proved fatal,
or nearly 50 per cent. less.
As regards Diphtheria (inclusive of Membranous Croup) 58
cases out of 274 treated at home died, or a fatality of 21.2 per cent.,
while only 70, or 16.2 per cent., out of 431 cases removed to
hospital, ended fatally.
Of the Enteric Fever cases (inclusive of Continued Fever) 21,
or 20.0 per cent., home-treated patients died, whereas only 26 out
of 250 cases, or 10.4 per cent., proved fatal in the hospitals.