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44
Bacteriological Examination.—A letter was received
from the County Council in September, 1898, inquiring
if your Vestry were in favour of powers being conferred
on local authorities to establish a bacteriological laboratory,
to enable medical officers and medical practitioners to
obtain, at the expense of the County, the examination, by a
competent bacteriologist, of material from suspected cases of
infectious disease, with a view to aiding in the diagnosis?
Your Vestry, without deeming it necessary to make it a
matter of reference to a committee, passed a resolution directing
that the Council should be informed that the Vestry were
not in favour of the proposal in question. But in February,
1899, the Sanitary Committee having expressed the opinion
that it was desirable arrangements should be entered into
with some reliable institution, whereby bacteriological examinations
may be obtained in such suspected cases of diphtheria,
and other similar specific diseases, as are brought to
the notice of the medical officer of health, it was decided
that the Jenner Institute would be the preferable body to
entrust with such examinations; an arrangement was entered
into and has been of great service.