Report on the outbreak of the plague at Sydney, 1900 / by the Chief Medical Officer of the Government and President of the Board of Health.

  • Thompson, J. Ashburton (John Ashburton), 1848-1915.
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report on the outbreak of the plague at Sydney, 1900 / by the Chief Medical Officer of the Government and President of the Board of Health. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    Fatality, at successive periods.—The fatality of the disease was not uniform throughout the whole series of cases. It was absolutely as shown in the following Table, to form which the 303 cases have been divided into three nearly equal parts :— Table V.—Comparing the fatality of the disease among three arbitrary divisions of the whole series. 100 cases (20 January to 12 April)* Fatality, 38 per cent. 100 cases (12 April to 8 May)* Fatality, 35 per cent. 103 cases (8 May to 9 August) ... ... ... Fatality, 30 per cent. * The cases which occurred on these days have been divided. But in this Table the Chinese are included who, for reasons already given are a disturbing element in the calculation, and should be separately dealt with. When they have been excepted, the statement concerning the remaining 293 cases among whites only, assumes the following form:— Table VI.—Comparing the fatality of the disease among three arbitrary divisions o£ the cases which occurred among whites, the ten Chinese having been deducted as shown below. 100 cases (20 January to 12 April)*—Fatality, 37 per cent. .. 100 cases (12 April to 9 May)*—Fatality, 37 per cent. 93 cases (9 May to 9 August)—Fatality, 23 per cent. Less Chinese. Cases. Deaths. * See note to Table V. A few days after commencement of the term during which the latter 87 cases occurred, Yersin-Roux serum become available, and was thenceforward steadily employed ; but it must be added that, in opinion of the clinical Staff, the virulence of the disease had already begun to abate about the beginning of May. The evidence which can be adduced in support of this judgment is given in Appendices B and E. Meteorology.—Appendix M consists of a chart on which are described curves constructed from the daily notifications, the rainfall, the daily mean temperature, and the daily mean tension of atmospheric vapour. The data were furnished by the Government Astronomer (Mr. H. C. Bussell, O.M.G., T.E.S.) Suspected Cases.—From January 25tli, when the nature of the first case was made known, down to a date long after that last mentioned in Table II, a total of 221 cases of suspected plague were reported to the Department for diagnosis ; 115 of them were referred by 69 medical men, 106 (of which 32 vrere presented by the patients themselves) through other channels. Many of the latter offered no resemblance to plague in any form, of course; and many of the former were referred from motives of prudence rather than liecausc doubt as to their nature was really felt. But among these were several cases of glandular swelling, with or Mdthout other symptoms of illness. In nearly all of these cases the glandular swelling, could be referred to one or other of the usual causes without difiiculty ; but in two or three of them no such cause could be assigned. HoAvever, very careful consider- ation of the recent occupation, place of residence, and habits of these patients, of the history of the illness and of the swelling, and of the results of a minute and pro- longed bacteriological investigation, quite failed to furnish sup])ort to the notion which had made an accurate diagnosis ncccssarv. Ambulant Cases.—Tlie suspected cases came to notice in greater number during earlier weeks, and thereafter with gradually diminishing frequency. The probability that the first case recorded was the first case in fact is supported on grounds which are given in detail in Section VI; and notliing has come to knowledge which would render it probable that cither ambulant or pneumonic cases occurred before
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