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The majority of the faucial cases were of a mild type. Nineteen
of them suifered from post-diphtheritic paralysis. This was
mild in 12 cases and severe in 7 cases.
Laryngeal diphtheria:—75 cases were admitted as laryngeal
diphtheria, but 37 of these proved to be wrongly diagnosed. Of
the 38 true cases, 11 required tracheotomy and 5 of these proved
fatal, giving a fatality rate of 45.45 of the cases operated on.
Fatality rate:—5 deaths occurred among the faucial cases.
This gives a fatality rate of 1.82 of the cases discharged.
The average duration of illness of these cases on admission was 4
days, and their ages averaged 6 years. Three of them were moribund
on admission, and died within four hours. The average
amount of antitoxin administered to them was 84,000 units.
The laryngeal cases which proved fatal were all complicated
by broncho-pneumonia ; 2 of them had both faucial and laryngeal
diphtheria. Their average age was two years, and the duration of
illness on admission averaged 3 days.
The average amount of antitoxin administered to all the cases
was 16,000 units.
Corrected diagnosis:—120 cases, notified as diphtheria,
proved to be wrongly diagnosed, and were found after admission
to be suffering from the following complaints :—
Tonsillitis 51; Laryngitis 24; Quinsy 0; Nephritis 1;
Adenitis 2; Epistaxis 1; Septic Meningitis 1; Tubercular
Meningitis 1; Rhinitis 2; Vincent's Angina 5; Bronchitis 0;
Pharyngitis (>; Alveolar Abscess 1; Otorrhoea 1; Scarlet Fever 3;
Marasmus 1; Leukaemia 1; Broncho Pneumonia 4; Septicaemia 1;
Whooping Cough 2.
Of these, 8 proved fatal as follows:—Ulcerative Laryngitis 1;
Broncho Pneumonia 2; Tubercular Meningitis 1; Septic Meningitis
1; Pharyngitis 1; Leukaemia 1; Septicaemia 1.
Whooping Cough.
One hundred and eight cases were admitted during the year.
Of these, 89 were discharged recovered, 13 died, and 6 remained
under treatment at the end of the year. The disease was associated
with scarlet fever in 6 cases, and 2 cases, admitted as
laryngeal diphtheria, proved to be whooping cough. The eases
were sent into hospital on account of their severity, and nearly
all of them were complicated by broncho pneumonia. The fatal
cases were all infants under 2 years of age. In the recovery cases
exposure to artificial sunlight in the later stage of the disease had
a beneficial effect.