London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hendon 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hendon]
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86
CONDITION ON ADMISSION.
Table XXIII. shows, with regard to the completed cases of
true diphtheria, the number of patients admitted after a
positive swab result had been obtained, the number of cases
in which antitoxin had been administered before admission,
and the day of disease on which the patients were admitted.
| Day of Disease | Admitted with Had Antitoxin | + swab result Not had Antitoxin | Admitted Had Antitoxin | without swab result Not had Antitoxin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | — | — | — | 3 |
| 2nd | 1 | — | — | 11 |
| 3rd | 2 | — | 2 | 8 |
| 4th | 1 | 8 | — | 6 |
| 5th | 1 | 4 | — | 7 |
| 6th | 1 | 1 | — | 3 |
| 7th | — | 1 | — | 3 |
| 9th | — | — | — | 1 |
| 10th | — | 1 | — | — |
| 11th | — | — | — | 1 |
| 12th | — | — | — | 1 |
| 13th | — | 1 | — | — |
| 14th | — | — | — | 1 |
| Unknown | — | 2 | — | 2 |
| Totals | 6 | 18 | 2 | 47 |
Of 119 cases notified as diphtheria and dealt with to completion—that
is, discharged well or died—during the year, 72
were true clinical and bacteriological diphtheria, 5 were
bacteriological diphtheria without any clinical symptoms, and
one was a mixed infection of scarlet fever and diphtheria.
It might be asked why some 35 per cent, of the cases sent
in were not diphtheritic in origin. In this connection it is
well to remember that if there be any suspicion of diphtheria