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25
"CARRIERS" OF ENTERIC FEVER.
In the last Annual Report reference was made to the arrangements made
by the Local Government Board for protecting the public from the danger
arising from the discharge from hospitals of patients who, although in other
respects perfectly healthy, were carriers of infection by reason of their
still passing the bacillus typhosus in their stools and urine.
It has been recognised that there may be persons not displaying this
condition in their discharge, that nevertheless prove on further investigation
to be "carriers."
This difficulty has now been met by the Local Government Board making
arrangements by which it is possible to make a periodical examination of the
stools and urine of all cases of enteric fever after their discharge from a
Metropolitan Asylums Board hospital.
As this is a most useful extension of the system in operation last year, I
have gladly consented to the request of the Local Government Board's
medical advisers to co-operate therein.
The procedure for making the examination of stools and urine will be
similar to that given on page 37 of your Medical Officer's Annual Report
for 1908, and the necessary apparatus for taking samples have been supplied
by the Lister Institute with instructions for use.
SMALL-POX.
No small-pox occurred among the residents of the City during the year,
but one case was reported from an adjoining Borough, where the patient, a
barman, was employed daily at a tavern in the City. The disease was
diagnosed as modified small-pox by a City medical practitioner. The patient
was immediately removed to hospital, his fellow employes re-vaccinated and
the premises disinfected, and no spread of infection occurred.
Another case was notified from St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and the usual
precautions were adopted, but in this instance the illness proved to be
blood - poisoning.
ANTHRAX.
One case of anthrax occurred during the year. The patient, a housekeeper,
became ill on the 2nd June, 1909, a local lesion having appeared a day or two
previously. He was admitted to the London Hospital on the 3rd June, for
operation. He had been engaged at a block of offices, one of which was
occupied by a firm of leather merchants dealing in box calf and dressed