" ... Of 3042 patients of all ages treated during 1894, 902 died—a mortality of 29.6 per cent.; whereas, of 3529 cases treated during 1895, 796 died—a mortality of 22.6 per cent.; the difference in percentage between the two rates being therefore 7.1. This, assuming that the former rate would otherwise have been maintained, represents a saving of 250 lives during the past year.
Influence of Age.
Table showing variations in reduction of mortality obtained with
Antitoxin at different ages.
| Ages. | Antitoxin Cases, 1895 | All Cases, 1895 | All Cases, 1894 | Diff. in Mortalities, 1894 and 1895. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases. | Deaths. | Mortality per cent. | Cases. | Deaths. | Mortality per cent. | Cases. | Deaths. | Mortality per cent. | ||
| Under 5 | 1013 | 379 | 37.4 | 1453 | 497 | 34.2 | 1171 | 556 | 47.4 | 13.2 |
| " 10 | 1829 | 575 | 31.4 | 2720 | 744 | 27.3 | 2246 | 836 | 37.2 | 9.9 |
| " 15 | 2056 | 606 | 29.4 | 3144 | 779 | 24.7 | 2609 | 877 | 33.6 | 8.9 |
| All ages | 2182 | 615 | 28.1 | 3529 | 796 | 22.5 | 3042 | 902 | 29.6 | 7.1 |
For every age-group, with the single exception of that comprising the years 15 to 20 (the numbers of which are small), the percentage mortality was less in the 1895 than in the 1894 cases. The reduction in mortality was greatest in early life.
Influence of Time of coming under Treatment.
Table showing percentage mortality in relation to day of disease
on which cases came under treatment.
| Day of Disease. | 1894. | 1895. | Difference. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 22.5 | 11.7 | 10.8 |
| 2nd | 27.0 | 12.5 | 14.5 |
| 3rd | 29.4 | 22.0 | 7.4 |
| 4th | 31.6 | 25.1 | 6.5 |
| 5th and over | 30.8 | 27.1 | 3.7 |
| Total | 29.6 | 22.5 | 7.1 |
"It will be seen that the percentage mortality of cases admitted on the same day of disease is less in every instance in the year 1895. The difference is most marked in the case of those patients who were admitted on the first and second day of illness, viz., 10.8 and 14.5 respectively.
"Both in 1894 and 1895, no less than over 37 per cent. of the patients were admitted on, or after, the fifth day of disease. And, moreover, while in 1894 as many as 59.2 per cent. of the fatal cases were not brought under treatment until the fourth day, or later, in 1895, the antitoxin year, the proportion was even higher, viz., 67.7 per cent.
Laryngeal Cases
"The tracheotomy results at each hospital are more favourable in the year 1895 than in 1894, the mortality ranging in the latter year at the different hospitals between 90 per cent. and 59.4 per cent., whereas in 1895 the range was from 56.2 to 40.5.