Mexborough and Swinton Times June 19, 1936
Children not Undernourished
Isolation Hospital Doctors View
the high average length of stay of patients in the Conisbrough Isolation Hospital caused a discussion at the monthly meeting of the Doncaster and Mexborough Joint Hospital Board at the hospital on Monday, Mr OS Howden (Skellow), chairman, presiding.
Mr W Cranfield (Adwick le Street) asked whether the severity of infectious diseases and consequent long average stay of a patients in the hospital was caused by malnutrition.
The medical superintendent, Dr WJ McClure, of Conisbrough, pointed out that in the case of diphtheria the heart and nervous system were often affected and this had an effect on the length of the stay. One girl was in hospital six months owing to paralysis stop
the average child coming into hospital was not undernourished, and he had been astonished that they were so well nourished knowing what he did of the mass of unemployment in the area.
The Deputy Medical Superintendent, Dr David T Clark, of Conisbrough, said there were different stages of diphtheria. At Conisbrough, one of the places with a lower average, all the doctors carried serum around them, and when there was a suspicion of diphtheria cases they were quickly sent to hospital. He did not know whether the doctors in the other districts carried serum for an immediate injection
Dr McClure explained that serum was available to doctors free of charge at all the local Council offices.
The chairman said that the members should see that the doctors in their district carried the serum
Replying to Mrs GN Paling (Armthorpe) Dr McClure said there was no doubt that where the doctors did not carry and inject the serum cases were more severe and the state of the patient longer.
Water main
The Board decided to accept terms offered by the Doncaster and Tickhill Joint Water Board for connecting a main the supply of water to the Smallpox Block of the hospital, thereby replacing the storage tank which was stated to be in a dangerous state.
The Medical Superintendent’s report for May show that compared with the 82 patients in hospital, 58 with scarlet fever and 24 with diphtheria, at the beginning of the month, there were only 58 patients (38 with scarlet fever, 19 with diphtheria and one with cerebrospinal fever) at the end of the month all38 cases were admitted, 25 people suffering from scarlet fever, 12 from diphtheria and two from cerebral spinal fever. 63 patients were discharged during the month, 45 scarlet fever patients, 17 diphtheria and one of cerebrospinal fever.
The admissions of scarlet fever, the report added, appeared to be of a mild type, while the admission of diphtheria appeared to be of a milder type than usual.
The operation of a tracheology was successfully performed on one patient stop