"Turning now to the operative cases, we find the same remarkable
effects of the antitoxin noticeable. Operations were done in 565
cases, or in 16.7 per cent. of the entire number reported. Intubation
was performed 533 times, with 138 deaths, or a mortality of 25.9 per
cent. In the above are included 9 cases in which a secondary
tracheotomy was done, with 7 deaths. In 32, tracheotomy only was done,
with 12 deaths, a mortality of 37.4 per cent. Of the 565 operative
cases, 66 were either moribund at the time of operation or died within
twenty-four hours after injection. Should these be deducted, there
remain 499 cases operated upon, by intubation or tracheotomy, with 84
deaths, a mortality of 16.9 per cent.
"Let us compare the results of intubation, in cases in which the serum
was used, with those obtained with this operation before the serum was
introduced. Of 5546 intubation cases in the practice of 242
physicians, collected by M'Naughton and Maddren (1892), the mortality
was 69.5 per cent. Since that time, statistics have improved
materially by the general use (in and about New York, at least) of
calomel fumigations. With this addition, the best results published
(those of Brown) showed in 279 cases a mortality of 51.6 per cent.
"But even these figures do not adequately express the benefit of
antitoxin in laryngeal cases. Witness the fact that over one-half the
laryngeal cases did not require operation at all. Formerly, 10 per
cent. of recoveries was the record for laryngeal cases not operated
upon. Surely, if it does nothing else, the serum saves at least double
the number of cases of laryngeal diphtheria that has been saved by any
other method of treatment."
III
In 1898, the Clinical Society published the Report of their Special
Committee, based on 633 cases (_Trans. Clin. Soc._, xxxi., 1898, pp.
1-50). The whole report should be read carefully; but there is room
here for nothing more than the latter part of it. This is given at
length.
A
_Table showing the General Mortality of cases treated, on the same day
of the disease, with and without Antitoxin._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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