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11
THE STRAND DISTRICT, LONDON.
tions fell from 79 (in 1893) to 30 in 1894 with 9
deaths. In my report for 1893, I ventured to draw the
attention of your Board to the importance of early and
accurate diagnosis in this disease, and pointed out that
this could only be accomplished when medical men had
placed at their disposal the means for making a bacteriological
culture from suspected throat cases. The
increase of diphtheria together with the introduction of
a new method of treatment has led to much attention
being paid to the subject and especially to the point I
urged, namely, that the Metropolitan Asylums Board
was the proper authority to take this matter up. I was
enabled as your delegate to bring the subject before
the Congress of the British Institute of Public Health
held at King's College, where a resolution was carried
calling upon the central authorities to provide the
means for making such diagnosis. I am pleased to be
able to report that the Metropolitan Asylums Board
have now made arrangements in connection with their,
hospitals so that all cases admitted will have the
diagnosis confirmed in this way, and equally important,
no case will be discharged until the throat and nose
have been found free from infective germs. If the
results are satisfactory after six months' trial, the scheme
will be extended to cases treated at home.