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of Health is undecided in his opinion, unjust blame is likely to attach to
the hospital Medical Officer, whereas not blame but praise should be
accorded to him for the evident care he has taken with the case. I hope,
however, the Medical Officer of the hospital will not be deterred from
doing what is best for the patient and others simply because some
irrational parent has antiquated ideas of disease.
DIPHTHERIA.
The deaths from this disease have been singularly few in number
during the year 1903. In the year under consideration only 23 deaths
occurred as against 63 for 1902.
The total number of cases notified, including Membranous Croup,
was 354 as against 539 in 1902.
The percentage of deaths to the total cases notified was 4'2. The
annual mortality per 1,000 living was -11.
Deaths from Diphtheria and Membranous Croup during the last
ten years:—
1894 130 1899 184
1895 82 1900 108
1896 129 1901 53
1897 105 1902 63
1898 123 1903 23
Of the 354 cases notified, 333 were removed to hospital with 19
deaths, a mortality of 5.7 per cent. 21 cases were treated at home with
four deaths, a mortality of 19.0 per cent. The heavy mortality amongst
those treated at home must be in some measure attributable to the
severity of the disease, but more especially to the absence of the "serum"
treatment. The table in which a comparison is made of the cases treated
at home and of those at the hospitals during the past eleven years, shows
that in the cases treated at the hospitals, there has been a diminution in
the deaths to the number of cases treated of more than 20 per cent.,
while in those treated at home the percentage of the deaths to the cases
treated has remained about the same. Much of this benefit which has
accrued to the patients treated at the hospitals must be put down to the
administration of the Antitoxin at the very early stage of the disease.
Enteric Fever.
The deaths from Enteric Fever during the year numbered 23 as
against a similar number for the preceding year.