DIPHTHERIA ANTITOXIN 



141 



completed during 1895, tne antitoxin period, with 

 all cases completed during 1894. 



"The year 1894 has been selected for the pur- 

 pose of comparison, not only because it is the year 

 immediately preceding the antitoxin period, but 

 because the average severity of the cases has been, 

 in our opinion, about equal. Moreover, the death- 

 rate in 1894 was slightly lower than it had been in 

 any previous year. 



". . . Of 3042 patients of all ages treated dur- 

 ing 1894, 902 died — a mortality of 29.6 per cent. ; 

 whereas, of 3529 cases treated during 1895, 79& 

 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 ?nortality obtained with 

 Antitoxin at different ages. 



Ages. 



Antitoxin Cases, 

 1895. 



All Cases, 

 1895. 



All Cases, 

 1894. 



Diff. in Mortalities, 

 1894 and 1S95. 



Cases. 



Deaths. 



Mortality 

 per cent. 



Cases. 



Deaths. 



Mortality 

 per cent. 



Cases. 



Deaths. 



Mortality 

 per cent. 



Under 5 . 



IOI3 



379 



37-4 



1453 



497 



34-2 



II7I 



556 



47-4 



13.2 



„ 10. 



1829 



575 



3M 



2720 



744 



27.3 



2246 



836 



37-2 



9.9 



„ 15. 



2056 



606 



29.4 



3M4 



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. 



