View report page

2
important differences. It has been noted in former years that what one bacteriologist may accept
as cerebro-spinal fever another may reject, the difference between them being not merely a difference
of opinion, but a difference as to what features are required to be present before a case can be properly
classed as the true disease. Considerable interest therefore attaches to the fact that these 20 cases
were diagnosed by 11 different bacteriologists.
The nomenclature in use by the profession continues to be confused. "Spotted fever" the popular
term, is occasionally met with; cerebro-spinal fever, epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis, a sporadic
case of epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis, meningococcal meningitis are the accepted medical terms
in common use; with, of course, posterior basal meningitis. But it is not uncommon for a case to be
described, although the meningococcus has been recovered, merely as "cerebro-spinal meningitis,"
a term which is applicable to every case of inflammation of the meninges that exists.
Year by year it becomes clearer that, until there is a uniform standard of classification and
nomenclature, little useful knowledge is likely to be acquired of a disease of which, so far as recent
London cases are concerned, the very existence may be called in question.
October, 1910.
W. McC. Wanklyn.
/