Seasonal incidence of myocardial infarction

100 cases of coronary thrombosis seen in a consulting practice in Port-of-Spain have been analysed with regards to the monthly incidence of the disease. The figures show a significantly higher number in January and July and a significantly lower number in December. There is no apparent relation between the incidence of the disease and average monthly temperature or humidity. A psychological explanation is put forward for the highest incidence in January and the lowest in December. (AU)

The arrhythmias in consulting practice - abstract

An investigation was made of the incidence and aetiology of the arrhythmias in a private consulting practice. The case histories and ECGs of all cases referred for a cardiac consultation in the last six years were examined. Of 1,800 cases, 575 cases had normal ECG's, 774 had abnormalities of the ECG other than arrhythmias and 451 presented arrhythmias of whom 36 showed more than one type. The arrhythmias were as follows - Sinus tachycardia 135 cases, Sinus bradycardia 5, Sinus arrhythmia 29, sinus arrest 1, coronary sinus rhythm 1, supra-ventricular premature beats 46, ventricular premature beats 118, paroxysmal atrial tachycardia 3, paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia 1, atrial flutter 5, flutter fibrillation 8, Atrial fibrillation 37, Sino-auricular block 1, atrio-ventricular block 42, right bundle branch block 40 left bundle branch block 11, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome 5. Approximately 20 percent of the arrhythmias were due to ischaemic heart disease and of all the cases of ischaemic heart disease seen, approximately 20 percent showed an arrhythmia. Of 29 cases of sinus arrhythmia 21 were older than 15 and 14 older than 20. 4.4 percent of cases of sinus tachycardia were due to alcoholism. In both the group of ventricular premature beats and the group of supra-ventricular premature beats about 1/3 showed no other evidence of heart disease and about 1/4 showed evidence of ischaemic heart disease. On of the five cases of atrial flutter and one of the eight cases of flutter fibrillation had artificial mitral valves. Of six cases of acquired heart block, the youngest was 59 years of age (AU)

Mayaro virus: A new human disease agent. II. Isolation from blood of patients in Trinidad, B.W.I

A new agent, named Mayaro virus, was isolated from the blood of five human beings in Trinidad, B.W.I., during August and September of 1954. The disease was mild to moderately severe febrile illness of short duration. The virus was pathogenic for infant mice but not adult mice intracerebral inoculation. (Summary)

The isolation of yellow fever virus from human liver obtained at autopsy

The isolation of yellow fever virus from the liver in the cases of yellow fever in human beings has been described. These cases were diagnosed by independent pathological examination. (Summary)

Spontaneous organic hypoglycaemia

Three cases encountered in the past five years in Trinidad were presented. All were females, aged 15, 30 and 66 years. Two cases presented with convulsions. All three patients underwent laparotomy and in only one was any pathological change noted: an anaplastic carcinoma of the pancreas with nodal metastases (AU)

Diabetes in Trinidad

A study has been made of the age, sex, weight and parity of 251 diabetics seen at a hospital clinic in South Trinidad. All but 8 of the patients were over the age of 30 and most were between 40 and 60 years of age. Women heavily outnumbered men, even among the younger patients. In comparison with 251 age and sex-matched controls chosen from non-diabetic hospital patients, the diabetics were heavier; this was equally true for women and men. With increasing age the difference of weight between diabetics and normals did not increase. Women outnumbered men among those who were not overweight as well as among those who were. There was no consistent relatonship between weight and parity. The distribution of weights did not suggest any sharp cleavage between underweight and overweight types of diabetes. The parity of the diabetics was greater than that of the controls. There was no tendency for diabetes to be diagnosed earlier among the highly parous women than among the less parous. (AU)

Heart disease in Trinidad

Heart disease was the commonest cause of death in Trinidad in 1957 and accounted for 1.7 percent of the admissions to the General Hospital, Port of Spain and the General Hospital, San Fernando. The order of frequency of the different types of heart disease was as follows: hypertensive, rheumatic, degenerative, ischaemic, cytogenic congenital, luetic, pulmonary. There is a high proportion of East Indians among the cases of rheumatic heart disease and a lower proportion among the cases of hypertension than in the general population of the island (AU)

The pattern of cardiovascular disease in West Indies (abstract only)

The cardiac admissions to the University College of the West Indies and to the General Hospitals in Port of Spain and San Fernando in Trinidad, have been reviewed. Hypertension, luetic, rheumatic and degenerative lesions are common. Ischaemic heart disease is less frequently encountered and cor pulmonale is rare. Cardiomegaly of unknown aetiology is not uncommon. The autopsy experience at the University College of the West Indies is also reviewed. Comparison is made with other clinical and autopsy series in the tropics and temperate zones (AU)

The pattern of skin disease in South Trinidad

Between 1st January, 1957 and 30th May, 1958, 402 cases of skin disease were seen at the General Hospital, San Fernando. A list of these diseases in order of incidence is given. The commonest disease seen is tropical ulcer. The six commonest diseases are ulcer, eczema, tinea, verruca, scabies and Hansen's disease. Psoriasis occurs among the first twelve, and erythema nodusum among the first twenty diseases on the list. Syphillis accounts for only 1.5 percent. Tuberculosis of the skin has not been seen. (AU)

Myocardial infarction in South Trinidad

Thirty-three cases of myocardial infarction were admitted to the San Fernando General Hospital during the years 1956 and '57. The mean age of the cases was 54.5 years. The sex ratio was 4 males to 1 female. 51 percent of the cases were hypertensive, and 15 percent were diabetic. There were fewer coloured people among the cases of cardiac infarction than in the general hospital population.(AU)

Mayaro virus: a new human disease agent. II. Isolation from blood of patients in Trinidad, B. W. I

A new agent, named Mayaro virus, was isolated from the blood of five human beings in Trinidad, B. W. I., during August and September of 1954. The disease was a mild to moderately severe febrile illness of short duration. The virus was pathogenic for infant mice but not for adult mice on intracerebral inoculation. (Summary)

The prevention of relapse after chloramphenicol treatment of typhoid fever

In an attempt to reduce the rate of relapses after Chloramphenicol treatment of typhoid fever, two plans of treatment have been carried out. A group of thirty cases were treated with two courses of Chloramphenicol, each course lasting 5 days, separated by a rest period of 8 days. Another group of 14 cases were also given T.A.B. vaccine 0.5 ml on the 5th day after the temperature became normal. The percentage of cases who relapsed was 17 percent of the first group and 21 percent of the second. The difference is not statistically significant. (AU)

Mayaro virus: a new human disease agent. 1. Isolation from the blood of five patients in Trinidad, B.W.I - abstract

In 1954 this new virus was isolated from 5 febrile patients and antibodies to the virus were also demonstrated in the blood of a number of Trinidad residents. In the same year the virus was isolated in Brazil and Bolivia, and a closely related virus was discovered in Uganda. Nothing is known as yet of it epidemiology or of its importance as a disease producing agent (AU)

Clinical aspects of 4 fatal cases of yellow fever in Trinidad in 1954

In 1954 for the first time since 1914 cases of yellow fever occurred in Trinidad. Four cases of jungle yellow fever were admitted to San Fernando Hospital. All four cases died of the disease. Only two cases were jaundiced, and only two cases had haematemesis. Faget's sign was present in only one case. All four cases had fever, diarrhoea and vomiting. Five cases died. (AU)

The treatment of stovarsol-resistant balantidiasis with aureomycin: a case report

A case of balantidium coli dysentery is reported. The disease has not previously been recorded from Trinidad. The condition was refractory to treatment with stovarsol, but was apparently cured by a course of 10 grams of aureomycin. (AU)

Chloromycetin in typhoid fever: a report on thirty cases

Thirty cases of typhoid have been treated with chloromycetin. Twenty-nine cases recovered and 1 died. Two cases developed melaena. One case developed oedema of lips, which was probably an allergic reaction to chloromycetin. Two cases developed symptoms suggestive of the burning feet syndrome and apparently attributable to chloromycetin. The average duration of the fever was 4.6 days after chloromycetin treatment was instituted. Forty-one percent of cases treated for less than 14 days, and 25 percent of cases treated for 14 days relapsed. (AU)

Duration of sulphone treatment of leprosy

An analysis is mead of the records of 19 lepromatous cases who were discharged from a Leprosarium in 1949. All cases were M/I before treatment, and became negative after treatment with one or more of three sulphones, viz. Promin, Diasone, and Sulphetrone. The duration of treatment varied from 29 to 53 months, the average duration of treatment being 41 months. The average amount of drugs given in this time was 297 g of Promin, 263 g of Diasone and 157 g of Suophetrone(AU)