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Five cases of scarlet fever were admitted with otorrhœa
and one case with chorea and old-standing otitis media.
These cases are not included amongst the ear complications
which were noted after the patients had been admitted to
hospital.
Five patients developed acute hæmorrhagic nephritis and
four albuminuria. These patients made complete recoveries.
Two patients developed acute pericarditis and in one
case this was further complicated by a streptococcal pleural
effusion. In this latter patient the effusion was treated by
aspiration and a complete recovery resulted. The other
patient with pericarditis was admitted from a general
hospital where she had been undergoing treatment for acute
rheumatism complicated by endocarditis. This case terminated
fatally although the attack of scarlet fever from which
she was suffering was mild.
Eight patients suffering from scarlet fever developed
rheumatism as a complication. The rheumatism was not
severe and in no instance was there any cardiac complication.
One of these patients was suffering from chorea on admission.
Two children suffering from scarlet fever developed
jaundice during their convalescence. During the previous
year one case of jaundice was noted.
There was one case of scarlet fever following burns.
Three other cases of scarlet fever were admitted from other
hospitals where they had been undergoing treatment for the
following conditions:—operative treatment for tuberculous
glands of neck; osteoclasis of legs for deformity due to
rickets; appendix abscess.
As in previous years anti-scarlatinal serum was used
fairly extensively. Most of the patients, with the exception
of those who had the disease in a very mild form, received
an injection of this serum on admission. The serum appeared
to lower the temperature considerably and to make the
patients much more comfortable. In the more severe forms
of the disease, undoubted improvement in their condition
resulted.
Four return cases occurred. This amounts to just under
two per cent. of the patients discharged.
Diphtheria.—Forty-eight patients were admitted to the
Infectious Diseases Hospital as cases of diphtheria. This
shows a very great reduction on the figure for 1932 when
one hundred and three patients were admitted as cases of
this disease. Of the forty-eight admissions only forty proved
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