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39
Our 4th fatal case, a child of 5£ years, came into hospital
on the 4th day of the illness. There was profuse nasal and ear
disdarge, and the glands of the neck were much enlarged. The
land was treated with serum on admission, but the symptoms
abated only slightly and she died on the 7th day from the onset.
The last fatal case was a girl of 8 years who was admitted
on the 5th day of illness. The rash had faded and the faucial
symptoms were moderate were moderate but the general toxaemia
was sevre. Anti-streptococcal serum was given, but signs of
Prevmonia developed within a few days of admission and the child
diod on the 12th day from the onset of disease.
The child who died from the disease outside the Borough
was originally a patient at the Borough Isolation Hospital. She
was a girl of 5½ years. Until the 3rd week she made uneventful
progress; purpura haemorhagica then developed and she was
freaferred to the London Fever Hospital for blood transfusion and
operative treatment. Unfortunately the condition became very
much worse and the child died.
We have been struck by the fact that the cases admitted to
hospital in the early stages of the disease have made more satisfactory
progress than those admitted a few days later after the
on set. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that anti-scarlatinal
Senun is given to all but mild cases on admission to the hospital
as long as they are admitted sufficiently early for the serum to be
of benefit. The injection of serum is found to have a marked
effect upon the course of the disease, provided that it is given
sufficiently early. Complications are prevented and the stay of the
Patient in hospital considerably shortened. Dick testing for susceptibility
to Scarlet Fever and immunisation against the disease
is less commonly used than is Schick testing for Diphtheria, probably
owing to the relative mildness of Scarlet Fever.
In the hospital, passive immunisation against Scarlet Fever
has been of tremendous value in checking the spread of the disease
when a case has arisen in one of the Diphtheria or Measles wards.
Meningococcal Meningitis.
There were only two cases of Meningococcal Meningitis
notofied during the year.