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27
DIPHTHERIA.
There was six deaths from this disease—one notified as
Membranous Croup being included—in Hospital, and the following
details show that four of them were in a hopeless state
on admission.
i. A male aged 2, died immediately on admission.
ii. A female aged 2 was in Hospital 10½ hours. Cause of
death Laryngeal Diphtheria with lung complications.
iii. A male aged 4 was in Hospital three days before death
ensued from Heart Failure.
iv. A female aged 3 was in Hospital months when she died
of Paralysis.
v. A baby aged 5 months died 6 hours after admission.
vi. A girl aged 2 was admitted in a state of collapse. Tracheotomy
was performed shortly after admission, but the
patient succumbed during the operation from collapse, the
result of Membranous Croup.
With the admission of more than half of the above cases in a
hopeless condition it is only natural that the rate of mortality, 12.5
per cent., should this year be higher than the exceptionally low
8.0 per cent, of 1904. In four cases the operation of
tracheotomy was completely successful.
It is well worthy of note that the gradual decrease in the
number of Diphtheria cases dates from the institution of careful
house-to-house inspection. The following figures are eloquent of
the splendid work done by the Sanitary Staff during the past few
years in the improvement of the general health of our district.