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Period of stay.—The average length of stay in hospital of all cases
was 19.6 days; of clinical diphtheria cases, 29.4; of carriers, 8.8;
and of those suffering from other conditions, 11.9 days.
Deaths.—Number of deaths, 3.
Case mortality, 17.7 per cent.
Of the fatal cases the first was admitted on the 8th day of
disease, dying 4 days later. The second was one of haemorrhagic
diphtheria admitted on the 3rd day of disease, dying three days
later. The third was a case of laryngeal diphtheria who died soon
after admission, on the 8th day of disease.
Complications:—Paralyses, 3 comprising palatal 2, and ciliary 1;
albuminuria, 2; abscess, 1; and broncho-pneumonia, 1.
Cross Infection.—One patient contracted scarlet fever while in
hospital.
Day of Disease on Admission.—The following summarizes the
information with regard to the duration of illness at the time of
admission:—
Over
Day. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 7
Number of cases 1 2 7 - 2 2 1 2
Serum Administration.—The average amount of serum used per
case was 24,470 units.
Operations.—Tracheotomy was performed in one instance.
Bacteriological Examination.—1,343 swabs were examined for the
Klebs-Loeffler bacillus. Of the 538 sent in by general medical
practitioners, 17 were positive. Of the 129 swabs from patients in
the diphtheria wards, 13 were positive. Of the 676 swabs from
patients admitted to hospital suffering from other diseases, 3 were
positive.
Scarlet Fever.
Admissions:—
Number admitted with diagnosis of scarlet fever 246
Number suffering from scarlet fever 217
Number in whom diagnosis not confirmed 29
Of these 29 cases, 10 suffered from an erythema, 6 from tonsillitis,
4 from German measles and 2 from measles, 2 from urticaria,
4 from other rashes and one from influenza.
Period of stay.—The average length of stay of all cases was 28.5
days. The average stay of scarlet fever cases was 31.1, the duration
in uncomplicated cases being 25.2 and of complicated cases, 43.1.
Non-scarlet fever cases were detained on an average of 9.5 days.
Deaths.—Nil.
Complications.—73 cases (or 35 per cent.) suffered from some
complication, adenitis occurring in 32 (15.4 per cent.), otorrhoea in