London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Fulham 1895
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Fulham]
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The difference in the relative fatality of ''Hospital" cases and "Home cases is still more strikingly shown in the following Table, which compares the fatality at different age-periods of the cases treated at home and of those treated in Hospital:—
| Age. | Cases Removed to Hospital. | Cases treated at Home. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Cases. | Deaths. | Mortality. per cent. | No. of Cases. | Deaths. | Mortality. per cent. | |
| Under 1 year | 3 | 1 | 33.3 | 1 | 1 | 100 |
| 1 to 2 years | 21 | 6 | 28.6 | 7 | 3 | 42.8 |
| 2 „ 3 „ | 17 | 4 | 23.5 | 8 | 5 | 62.5 |
| 3 „ 4 „ | 40 | 12 | 30.0 | 14 | 8 | 57.1 |
| 4 „ 5„ | 33 | 7 | 21.2 | 8 | 4 | 50.0 |
| 5 „ 10 „ | 110 | 14 | 13.6 | 28 | 8 | 28.6 |
| 10 „ 15 „ | 25 | 1 | 4.0 | 6 | 1 | 16.6 |
| 15 „ 25 „ | 15 | 1 | 6.6 | 9 | — | — |
| 25 35 „ | 13 | — | — | 15 | 1 | 6.6 |
| 35 „ 45 „ | 6 | — | — | 4 | — | — |
| 45 „ 55 „ | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| 55 „ 65 „ | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
There is no reason to suppose that there has been any change in the
type of disease coincidently with the introduction of the Anti-toxin
treatment. The cases of 1895 were in the irearliest symptoms similar to
those of previous years, and the fact that the local and constitutional
conditions which were formerly so fatal have not supervened, may
reasonably be ascribed to the new treatment employed.
This opinion is confirmed by the recovery of cases which, both from
laryngeal obstruction and severity of constitutional symptoms, would in
pre-anti-toxin days have been regarded as hopeless.
Dr. Hume also remarks:—
“That the mortalities of the laryngeal cases in the last two years are
in striking contrast; in 1895, 7 out of 8 recovered, in 1894 9 cases, all
died, and the only new factor in the treatment of post-scarlatinal
Diphtheria at their Hospital is Anti-toxin. It is difficult to resist the
conclusion that there must be some connection between the new method
of treatment and the great reduction of mortality."