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47
Infectious Disease Clinic.—This Clinic was held weekly as
in previous years but, owing to alterations in times of other Clinics,
it is now held on Tuesday at 2 p.m. instead of 9 a.m. as before.
The statistics for 1931 are shown in tabular form:—
Number of sessions held 52
Number of patients attended 2,481
Number of attendances made 2,824
Average attendance per session 54.3
Number of Scarlet Fever cases discovered 6
Number of Clinical Diphtheria cases discovered 19
Number of Non-Clinical Diphtheria cases discovered 22
Number of patients given antitoxin at Clinic 27
Number of virulence tests taken in Diphtheria carriers 21
Number of tonsillectomies performed on chronic
virulent Diphtheria carriers 4
Number of Children recommended for Rheumatism
Clinic 43
Number of Children recommended for Convalescent
Home Treatment 20
The number of contacts attending was 2,481 against 1,780 last
year. Attendances were 2,824 against 2,352, the average attendance
per session increasing from 45.2 in 1930 to 54.3 in 1931.
The value of the Clinic was proved beyond doubt by the number
of actual cases of infectious disease discovered. The 27 cases to
which antitoxin was given were "bacteriological" cases who either
could not or would not enter Hospital. Virulence tests totalling 21
were done in all chronic carriers, and following proved virulence
four cases had their tonsils removed with successful results in
terminating the carrier state. All these operations were done in
the cubicle block of the Sanatorium.
The establishment of the Rheumatism Clinic by the Education
Authority has proved a very real advantage for the purpose of
referring cases of Rheumatism and Heart Disease following infectious
disease.
Altogether, since June, 1931, 40 cases were referred as follow:—
No. of Hospital No. of cases No. with early
Disease. discharges from referred. Rheumatic Heart
which selected. Disease.
Scarlet Fever 198 30 11
Diphtheria 200 10 5
There is every reason to hope that cardiac crippling will be
reduced to a minimum by the supervision and treatment given at
the Rheumatism Clinic.