London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

Croydon 1936

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]

This page requires JavaScript

Table: Particulars of Fatal Casts of Diphtheria.Table XI.

Particulars of Fatal Casts of Diphtheria.

Table XI.

Name.Age on Admission.Condition on admission.Subsequent progress.Date of Death (Days) after admission).
1. C.A. (F)6Membrane over both tonsils. Rhinorrhoea: Glands of neck ††Started showing signs of heart failure 9 days after admission and died from this 11 days later.20
2. B.M. (F)17/12Cyanosed aphonic bilateral recession. Throat clean.Tracheotomy performed soon after admission with relief, but rapid heart failure followed and death.7½ hrs.
3. N.S. (M)5 9/12Admitted with profuse rhinorrhoea & a clean throat. Adenitis.Showed signs of heart failure 6 days after admission: vomitting and cyanosis: died from this on 14th day.15
4. J.P.(F)10Membrane over both tonsils: foetor ††: glands of neck †† v. toxic.Progressive heart failure until death on 3rd day.3
5. P.T. (M)10 9/12Sloughing membrane both tonsils: "bull neck." Foetor and cyanosis.Showed signs of heart failure on admission, which became more marked: died on 4th day.5
6. V.S. (m)23/12Membrane both tonsils: glands of neck + +Showed signs of heart failure on 4th day, which increased till death on 8th day.8

Text

Copy text to clipboard

The late administration of serum does not exert much influence
on the course of the disease. Diphtheria toxin rapidly becomes fixed
in the tissues and when once fixed anti-toxin has no effect in
counteracting its poisonous effect.
None of the fatal cases had received any anti-toxin before
mission. Intra-venous and intra-muscular injections were given