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101
through the direct laryngoscope in the treatment of laryngeal diphtheria was used
in conjunction with the respirator and afforded great relief to the patient. Some
of these patients had to remain in the apparatus owing to the persistence of the
paralysis for periods of 12 days or more, which is in itself an indication of the impossibility
of maintaining artificial respiration by means other than mechanical, and
there is no question that without the apparatus the lives of these children would
not have been saved. The use of the Drinker apparatus in empyema is quite
original, and is due to Dr. M. Mitman, senior assistant medical officer at the NorthEastern
hospital. The results which attended its employment in two cases were
so obvious and striking that it appears that a new and valuable field for the machine
has been discovered.
Streptococcal toxin and anti-streptococcal sera.
Dr. L. J. M. Laurent, senior assistant medical officer at the Western hospital,
has continued to carry out, as in past years, various tests in connection with the
standardisation of streptococcal toxin and the filtration of streptococcal antitoxin.
North-Western hospital—Radium unit for cancer of uterus.
In May, 1933, it was decided to transfer to the Lambeth hospital the unit
which had been established at the North-Western hospital in June, 1928, for the
treatment, by radium, of cancer of the uterus. Effect was given to this decision in
March, 1934. The unit at the North-Western hospital had worked under the disadvantage
that there was at that hospital no X-ray equipment, and, since both
forms of therapy were necessary, patients had had to be transferred to Lambeth
hospital to complete their treatment.
(b) smallpox hospitals.
Use of hospitals.
Long Reach hospital continued in use until 12th July, after which it remained
unoccupied to the end of the year. Joyce Green hospital was open for fever cases
throughout the year, and the Orchard hospital from 13th February to 12th July.
Admission of patients.
At the end of 1933 there were 13 cases of smallpox under treatment. During
the year 163 cases certified to be suffering from smallpox were admitted to the
receiving station at South Wharf, and in addition two babies not suffering from
smallpox were admitted to hospital with their mothers who had the disease.
Twenty-five of these cases were discharged from the receiving station as the
diagnosis was not confirmed. One patient died from encephalomyelitis which
followed the attack of smallpox. The last patient was discharged on 12th July,
since which date there have not been any smallpox cases under treatment, though
during the last six months of 1934 nine cases were sent to the receiving station,
none of which proved to be smallpox.
Smallpox
cases admitted
to
hospital.
At the end of the year 1933, 696 patients were under treatment in Joyce Green
hospital. During 1934, 5,908 patients were admitted to Joyce Green and Orchard
hospitals, of whom 1,204 were received in the Orchard hospital. At the end of the
year 137 remained under treatment in Joyce Green hospital.
Fever cases
admitted to
Joyce Green
and Orchard
hospitals.
The Orchard hospital was opened on 13th February to receive patients suffering
from scarlet fever, and was closed on 12th July. During less than 5 months the
hospital dealt with 1,524 patients, of whom 1,204 were admitted direct and 320
transferred from Joyce Green.
Of the total of 5,908 patients admitted to the hospitals during the year, 2,794
were admitted during the months of March, April and May, and during January,
February and March 428 female staff and 38 male staff joined or were transferred
to this section of the fever service.
The year under review is therefore a very typical example of the extreme
fluctuation in numbers of patients and staff to which these hospitals are accustomed.