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During the year, 10 children who had been previously
immunised against the disease were admitted as diphtheria. Five
of these had mild faucial attacks and made a satisfactory recovery.
One case proved fatal. This was a girl aged 3 years who had a
severe infection of the fauces and did not come under treatment
until the fourth day of illness. A year previously she had been
injected with one c.c. of alum-precipitated toxoid, but a confirmatory
Schick test had not been performed. Of the other 4 cases,
one proved to be measles, one suffered from septic pharyngitis,
and two were bacteriological cases only.
One case of typhoid fever and 2 cases of para-typhoid 15.
were under treatment. All were of a moderately severe type.
The biennial epidemic of measles appeared in the Borough
during the Spring, and as many as possible of the more severe
cases were admitted. This disease was responsible for more
deaths than any of the other infections.
Whooping cough continued fairly prevalent throughout the
year, and severe cases were admitted as accommodation became
available.
No case of cerebro-spinal meningitis was under treatment.
Of 5 cases which had been admitted under this diagnosis, 3
suffered from lobar pneumonia, 1 was a case of scarlet fever, and
1 proved to be suffering from anterior poliomyelitis. Two other
cases of anterior poliomyelitis were under treatment.
Erysipelas and pneumonia were not very prevalent throughout
the year, and there was no appreciable increase in the number
of cases under treatment.
At the beginning of the year 220 patients were in residence
and 1,467 were admitted during the year, making a total of l,687
cases under treatment. Of these, 1,450 were discharged, 54
died, and 183 remained under treatment at the end of the year.
The chief causes of death during the year are briefly summarised
as follows:—
Scarlet Fever 3 deaths
Diphtheria 14 „
Measles 26 „
Whooping Cough 3 „
Pneumonia 3 „
Erysipelas 1 „
Poliomyelitis 1 „
Other diseases 3 „
The fatality rate, calculated on all the cases admitted during
the year, was 3.61 per cent.
Table I. shows the admissions and deaths for each month o
the year, and in Table II. there is shown the annual admissions
and deaths from the principal infectious diseases since the Hospita
was opened.
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