Cerebro-spinal fever in the Royal Navy (August 1st, 1916-July 31st, 1917) / by H.D. Rolleston.

  • Rolleston, Humphry Davy, Sir, 1862-1944.
Date:
[1918?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Cerebro-spinal fever in the Royal Navy (August 1st, 1916-July 31st, 1917) / by H.D. Rolleston. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    CASES OF CEREBROSPINAL FEVER IN THE ROYAL NAVY, AUGUST 1, 1916—JULY 31, 1917. By Temporary Surgeon-General H. D. ROLLESTON, C.B., M.D., F.R.C.P., R.N. Consultant Physician to the Boyal Navy ; Senior Physician to St. George's Hospital, London. In addition to the cases of cerebrospinal fever in the Royal Navy during the third year of the war the total number of cases occurring since the onset of hostilities have been analysed as far as is necessary for purposes of comparison. The present report contains :— (1) Remarks on the incidence of the cases. (2) Remarks on some clinical aspects. (3) A summary of the results of treatment. (4) A brief history of the outbreaks at various centres. (1) Incidence of the Cases. During the year August 1, 1916, to July 31, 1917, there were 143 baeteriologically proved cases of cerebrospinal fever as compared with 104 during the second and 170 cases during the first year of the war, the percentages for the first, second, and third years being 41, 25, and 34 of the total 417 cases. The rise during the third year of the war cannot be entirely explained by the increased personnel of the Navy, as there was a distinct fall in the number of cases during the second year as compared with the first year of the war, whereas the personnel pre¬ sumably continued to increase throughout the war. The absolute rise of the Naval cases during the third year of the war corresponds with a rise in the number of cases in the civil and military populations,1 and also with an increased percentage of carriers in the Navy. Bacteriological examination of the throats of new entries from December, 1916, to the end of July, 1917, made at Haslar (Hon. Staff Surgeon P. Fildes, R.N.V.R.), Plymouth (Fleet Surgeon R. S. Bond), Chatham (Staff Surgeon J. H. Burdett), and of non-contacts (new entries and drafts) at Greenwich (Deputy Surgeon-General P. W. Bassett-Smith, C.B.) showed that out of 46,107 officers and ratings there were 1,509 carriers, or 3*3 per cent., as compared with 2*7 per cent, obtained in a similar but smaller collection of cases during the first half of 1916. During the third year of the war the percentage of carriers at different centres varied from 0J at Plymouth to 5 at Greenwich, and also varied at different periods {vide pp. 17, 22). 1 Information kindly given by Dr. T. H. C. Stevenson, of the General Register Office, and Surgeon-Colonel R, J. Reece, C.B., H.A.C.