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I regret to say that too often in past years it has
happened that parents have not realised the necessity of
obtaining medical advice early enough to be effective; have
delayed, in fact, four or five days, till the patient has become
toxic, and has been unable to respond to any treatment.
It should be understood that any septic throat should
be seen by a doctor at once.
In some instances neglect is culpable, and in all must
be regretted and deplored.
As a medical officer I should be ashamed of a death from
diphtheria if I did not know that the medical practitioners act
at once, regarding all cases as urgent and dangerous.
NOTIFIABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
It would be difficult to estimate the exact value of any
comparative statistics relating to the districts of Wembley and
Kingsbury, now combined—they are so different in area,
and size of population, but the following statement with
regard to the incidence of infectious disease is of interest:—
From January to December, 1934:
Wembley proper, had 116 cases of Scarlet Fever admitted
to hospital. They stayed in the hospital on the average
44.8 days, and the average cost per patient was £14 6s. od«
From April to December, 1934:
Kingsbury had 113 cases admitted to hospital. They
stayed in the hospital 33.4 days on the average and cost
£10 9s. od.
The combined new district had, therefore, 229 cases in
hospital, average length of stay was 39.2 days, and the
average cost per patient £12 8s. od.
With regard to Diphtheria:—
From January to December, 1934:
Wembley had 34 cases of the disease staying in 28.5 days
and costing £11 9s. od., whilst Kingsbury for the period
from April to December had 33 cases staying in 24 days
each, and costing £10 4s. od. each.
You will note in the table subjoined some comparative
figures of infectious disease, but they are not really of great
value with a shifting population and for short periods of time.
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