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Diphtheria.—One hundred and seven patients were
admitted as cases of diphtheria. This was an increase of
nineteen on the figure for 1937. Of the one hundred and seven
admissions, only sixty-two proved to be suffering from true
clinical diphtheria. These latter cases included three children
with laryngeal diphtheria. Fourteen patients were admitted as
the result of positive swabs. They were found to be harbouring
bacilli in the nose or throat, but not actually suffering from the
disease. Twelve other patients on admission were found to be
suffering from non-diphtheritic infections of the throat.
Amongst the sixty-two clinical cases of diphtheria, paralysis
occurred as a complication in twelve patients. The symptoms
of paralysis noted amongst these latter cases were as follows:—
Palatal paralysis 6
Ciliary paralysis 3
Paresis of legs 3
The other complications noted amongst the patients admitted
to hospital as cases of diphtheria were as follows:—
Otorrhœa 3
Myocarditis 3
Mastoiditis 1
Nephritis 1
Pour deaths occurred amongst the one hundred and seven
patients admitted to hospital as suffering from diphtheria. Three
of the deaths from diphtheria occurred in patients admitted
from outside the Borough. It will thus be noted that one
Wimbledon patient died from this disease during 1938.
As in previous years, three negative swabs were obtained
from the nose and throat of all patients prior to discharge.
No "return" cases of diphtheria were reported during
the year.
Enteric Fever.—Two patients were admitted as cases of
typhoid fever. In one case the diagnosis of typhoid fever was
not confirmed. The remaining patient was an old case of
diabetes with cirrhosis of the liver. This case terminated fatally.
Dysentery.—Twenty-four patients suffering from Sonne
dysentery were admitted from outside the Borough. The
dysentery was of a mild type, and the patients made rapid
recoveries.
Erysipelas.—Three cases of erysipelas were under treatment.
One of these was a case of erysipelas of the face. All
the patients made complete recoveries.
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