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together with a condition of Laryngeal obstruction which was
found to be of diphtheritic origin. Tracheotomy was performed
on the day following admission, but the patient slowly
sank and died the following day.
Of the three other deaths from Diphtheria, the first was a
boy of 5 years, who, having remained in a very grave condition
from the time of his admission, finally died from
toxaemia on the 36th day in hospital.
The other two cases were both Wembley U.D. residents
who had been sent to Redhill Hospital Out-patients' Department
and were from there sent on to this hospital. One of
these was a girl aged 1 year—an extremely toxic case in the
5th day of disease—who died on the 2nd clay in hospital:
the other was a boy of 1 year 5 months suffering from
laryngeal diphtheria and admitted in a moribund condition
on the 2nd day of disease. Tracheotomy was performed
immediately but the patient died within half an hour of
admission.
In none of the above cases had antitoxin been administered
prior to admission.
Two further deaths occurred among the cases in respect
of which the notified diagnosis of Diphtheria was not confirmed.
One was a boy, aged 6 years, who died on the 4th
clay in hospital, and the other a girl of 5 years who died on
the 6th day. A post mortem examination was carried out in
both cases and it was established that the boy's death was
due to "Acute Streptococcal Pneumonia" and that the little
girl died of "Acute Lymphatic Leukaemia."
Double Infections.
Apart from the case of Laryngeal Diphtheria and Measles
already referred to, there was one other instance of dual
infection among the diphtheria admissions during the year.
This was a child, who, on admission, was suffering from
Diphtheria and incubating Measles, the latter disease developing
shortly afterwards.