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within a short interval of one another may have the most damaging results to a child's health.
Any method which gives promise of avoiding them in great part is therefore worthy of serious
consideration.
Of the 1,587 completed cases discharged, 1,010 had received intravenous antitoxin, 193
had intraperitoneal antitoxin, 86 had intramuscular antitoxin and 298 had no antitoxin. The
intravenous and intraperitoneal series, although very unequal in numbers and seasonal incidence,
had an approximately equal age and sex distribution, and they are, therefore, reasonably
comparable. The following table shows the salient facts with regard to those two groups. In
calculating the average duration of residence, cases detained in hospital on account of intercurrent
disease or other condition unassociated with scarlet fever have been excluded from each
series:—
" Intravenous "
series.
" Intraperitoneal "
series.
Number of completed cases 1,010 193
Period Whole year 1st October—31st
December
Average duration of residence in hospital 17.4 days 20.7 days
Number of deaths *1 None
Complications oocurring after admission. Number. Per cent. Number. Per cent.
Purulent otitis media 24 2.4 1 1
Albuminuria and nephritis 2 0.2 2 1
Rheumatism 3 0.3 — —
Carditis — — — —
Adenitis 28 2.8 5 2.6
Tonsillitis 10 10 2 1
Abscess 3 0.3 2 1
Minor septic foci 13 1.3 4 2
Relapse 4 0.4 — —
Other 22 2.2 4 2
Total 109 10.9 21 10.6
The above are exclusive of those developing
other infectious diseases, viz :—
Nasal diphtheria 3 0-3 — —
Chickenpox 8 0-8 3 1-5
Rubella 6 0-6 — —
Whooping-cough 4 0-4 — —
Measles 8 0-8 — —
t Excluding 47 cases detained for conditions unassociated with scarlet fever.
t .. 10
* 9th day case, died 4 hours after admission.
The age and sex grouping was as shown below. Since a large proportion of the complications
of soarlet fever occur in children below the age of five years, the percentage of these in any series
is of prime importance.

(a) Complications occurring after discharge from hospital.—As reported last year, the parents
of each " short stay " case were asked to send a specimen of urine to the Southern group laboratory
on or about the 24th day of the disease. Since the beginning of this scheme in 1933 to the end