364:
Group A is divisible into four parts (1) a Chart A-l of daily, admissions in four
colours, each of which denotes a method of treatment save that black is a summary of
the three colours red, green and blue, which represent respectively, Bath, .Native and
"Other Treatments." Two facts must be kept here well in mind. The Bath Treatment
was never given alone, but always in conjunction with another treatment. The other
fact to be remembered is that "Other treatment" means practically European treatment.
It includes, therefore, such methods as the use of hypodermic injections, stimulants,
mercurials, antiseptics, alteratives, diaphoretics, and expectorants. A few cases were
treated by Lustig's serum, but the numbers were small, the numerical results were un-
affected, and the cases occurred early in the use of Lustig's serum method, when it was
hardly out of the experimental stage. All these methods have been grouped into one
and called <£ other methods." To sub-divide up the group gives rise to many groups
each so small that the results of such are untrustworthy.
Returning to Chart A-l the following points may be noted :—
(a) The gradual increase in numbers from January to March.
(6) The paucity of cases in January.
(c) The apparent fewness of Bath cases in February, due entirely to ad-
ministrative changes.
(d) The great diurnal variation in the number of admissions.
II. The next part of Group A. is No. 2.
The Charts A-2, A-3, A-4, differ from A-l in being of a twofold character.
Firstly, each is merely an extract from a part of Chart A-l, thus, in A-2 the Bath
daily admission for clearness are presented alone, in A- 3 the Native daily admission
are likewise shewn, and in A-4 the " Other method " admissions are similarly given.
Secondly, each chart has a lower line in an appropriate colour. This lower line
represents actual recoveries. Thus, to take any one date : let us say, 10 cases come in
on that day : then if the recoveries for that day appear as 4, what is meant is that of
the 10 cases 4 recovered, but that out of the 10, 6 cases at some time or other, but not
necessarily on that particular day, died. Hence the daily percentage of recoveries
can be easily deduced.
Returning to these Charts the following points may be noted :—
(a) In A-2 the few admissions for January : also for reasons already
given, the paucity of cases at the end of February.
(&) In A-3 the increase in numbers with greater uniformity.
(c) In A-4 the marked increase in numbers. The drop in March is due
to the competition for cases on the part of the Bath treatment.
Likewise the increase in February is due to the absence of that
competition.
II. Chart A-5 is the remaining portion of the second part of Group A. It is
apparently a very complicated chart, but really it is very simple. The colours used
f t re for the same purposes as previously stated. The chief points to be noted are :—
(a) That early in January, when the numbers were small, the results
tended to extremes.
(4) That the daily variations are excessive ; for example, a mortality on
one day of 100 per cent.: on the next of 0 per cent, and on the
third of 100 per cent, again. The small value of such results is
obvious.