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73
REPORT ON THE WORK AT THE BOROUGH
INFECTIOUS DISEASES HOSPITAL FOR 1930.
Dr. Barker reports as follows:—
Statistics for the year 1930 show a considerable decrease in
the number of cases of infectious disease admitted to the hospital.
This was particularly noticeable during the latter half of the year
when the health of the Borough in this respect was reflected in
the lowered incidence of Diphtheria and Scarlet Fever.
Although fewer patients suffered from Diphtheria, many were
extremely severe cases, either of a virulent type or late in coming
under treatment.
It may be surmised that when such an illness is prevalent
throughout the district parents more readily seek medical advice
for this serious malady, and for conditions such as Tonsillitis and
simple Laryngitis, which stimulate diphtheritic infection. The importance
of early diagnosis both as regards treatment and morbidity
need not be stressed.
Scarlet Fever was generally mild in character, and in the
majority of cases complications and sequela did not exhibit serious
manifestations. It is difficult to know to what this may be
ascribed, but some credit must be given to improved methods of
treatment, principally by the use of immune sera.
It will be seen that of a total of 700 patients admitted to the
hospital during the year 452 were found to be suffering from
Diphtheria, and eight additional cases complicated by some other
illness. There were 224 cases of Scarlet Fever, with five complicated
cases. The admissions for the year 1929 were 557 and
314 respectively.
The remainder consisted of cases of miscellaneous illnesses.
Of the 460 cases admitted as suffering from Diphtheria, 366
were faucial or throat, 56 nasal, 25 laryngeal, 5 Diphtheria and
Scarlet Fever, 3 Tonsillitis, 1 Diphtheria and Measles, 1 Whooping
Cough and 3 not suffering'.
Of 365 swabs examined of cases in hospital 311 showed
presence of the diphtheria bacillus. The number of deaths from
Diphtheria was 17, the case mortality being 3.3 per cent, as compared
with 6.7 per cent, for 1929. Many of the cases that