View report page

91
suffering from true Diphtheria, have not been sent to Hospital,
and, thereby, have avoided the danger (an actual one at times)
of contracting the real disease whilst there.
Again, there are infectious sore throats, other than Diphtheritic,
and by means of bacteriological examinations, such are found
to be associated at times with the pseudo-bacilli of Hoffman.
These pseudo cases can be thus discovered and isolated,
and the disease thereby prevented from spreading from
person to person. A notable example of this occurred in connection
with a large school in the Borough, where there was a
serious outbreak of pseudo-Diphtheria, 38 cases in all, out of a
total of 137 scholars. By means of bacteriological examinations,
the cases (some exceedingly mild) were discovered and isolated,
and the outbreak stamped out in consequence. The relationship
(if any) between pseudo-bacilli and the Klebs-Lœffler bacilli
is not yet settled; but that throats, which shew, on examination,
the presence of pseudo-bacilli, are infectious, cannot admit of
doubt in view of this School outbreak. Consequently, in Lambeth,
the usual precautions (notification, isolation, disinfection,
etc.) are taken, but the patients are not removed to Hospital,
where they might be placed in a ward containing pure (true)
Diphtheria cases. Separate wards for pseudo-Diphtheria
patients might, with advantage, be provided by the Metropolitan
Asylums Board.
Taking the whole 1072 doubtful Diphtheria specimens, the
results of the examinations shew that in 177 (i.e., 16.5 per cent.)
the Klebs-Lœffler bacilli were found in pure cultivation (i.e.,
without admixture with other bacilli); in the 82 (i.e., 7.6 per
cent.) the Klebs-Lœffler bauilli were found combined with other
well-known ordinary bauilli, e.g., Staphylococci, Streptococci,
Torulæ, Oidia and Micrococci; and in 3 cases (i.e., 2.8 per cent.),
Klebs-Lœffler bacilli and Pseudo-bacilli were found together.
In 810 (i.e., 75.6 per cent.) of the total number of throat
samples examined (1072), the Klebs-Lœffler bacilli were not
isolated, but other bacilli were as follows:—Staphylococci,
333; Streptococci, 78; Staphylococci and Streptococci, 67;
Staphylococci or Streptococci combined with others, 14; Pseudobacilli
(pure cultivation), 7; Pseudo-bacilli and others, 253; and
Others (Micrococci, Torulæ, Oidia and Smegma), 58.
Tuberculosis.
565 samples of sputa from doubtful Tuberculosis cases have
been examined, and in 233 (i.e. 41.2 per cent.) the bacilli, which
cause the disease, were discovered. The importance of early