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who at this date were attending school, it was found that
two of them also gave positive bacteriological results.
In another case, a child—C. G., 26, B. Place—was
notified as suffering from Diphtheria and removed to the
Hospital, the premises being disinfected, all the other
children on examination gave negative bacteriological
results, but on enquiry it was found that the father,
D. G., had been suffering for a month previously from
some throat affection—he had, however, been under
medical treatment for what was supposed to be severe
quinsy, although as he had suffered from quinsy frequently
before he himself noticed that this affection was much
different to his previous illnesses. On my communicating
with the medical attendant he informed me that he
thought this case had been one of severe quinsy, and
that the patient had shewn some little evidence of paralysis.
Afterwards, on my examining the father, almost a pure
culture of Diphtheria Bacilli was obtained, accordingly
he was then notified as suffering from Diphtheria and
removed to the Hospital for treatment. The Diphtheria
Bacilli persisted in his throat in spite of treatment for
a period of nine weeks before a negative result was obtained.
Undoubtedly this was the first case in this household,
but the diagnosis having been overlooked other
cases arose which led in this way to the finding of the
original case.
Amongst the children excluded from school on account
of throat affection or suspected Diphtheria, or because
they were actual contacts with Diphtheria cases, who
were examined by me, 48 were definitely found to be
harbouring the Diphtheria Bacillus, and 12 of these gave
a positive reaction on a subsequent examination. Of
these 48 cases, 22 were definitely notified by a medical
practitioner in the district as suffering from Diphtheria,
the remaining 26 cases, however, rapidly cleared up under