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53
in 1895 seven out of eight cases recovered, whilst in 1894 of
nine cases all died; the only new factor in the treatment of the
post-scarlatinal diphtheria being antitoxin. It would thus
appear that there is good ground for believing that antitoxin
is a real remedy and a powerful remedy against this terrible
disease.
It may be mentioned that the average reduction in the
mortality at all the (town) hospitals combined, is considerably
less than has been observed abroad, as a result of the antitoxin treatment. Better results, it may be anticipated, will
be shown in the report of the Medical Superintendents for
1896, as it can hardly be doubted that the new treatment will
have been had recourse to in a larger proportion than 61.8 per
cent. of total cases. As already mentioned "mild" cases were
not injected. But who can say that any case, apparently mild
at its inception, will continue to be mild throughout its
course? And if treatment be delayed until serious symptoms
have supervened, there is, as we have seen, a greatly
diminished prospect of a successful issue. As a final observation, I would say that in the varying practice at the different
hospitals in 1895, an unconscious but valuable experiment
was performed, the result of which should be to lead, in the
future, to more uniformity of practice in respect of dosage,
frequency of injection, and proportion of cases treated.
Should this expectation be realized, we may hope to see more
uniform and better results at the several hospitals in the next
Annual Report of the Medical Superintendents.
It is worth repeating that sufferers from this parish participated to the full in the benefits arising from the antitoxin treatment, seeing that in 1895 there was a substantial
reduction in the case-mortality as regards hospital patients.
In 1894 the percentage mortality was practically the same in
home-treated cases (27. per cent.), and in hospital cases (28.3