View report page

81
The presence of so much of this disease and the general condition
of the throats in the establishment led me to urge the necessity of
wider measures. The majority of the cases in February were discovered
as a result of swabbing which was freely carried out during this month.
In conjunction with the medical staff of the Home, and with the
sanction of the Public Health Committee and of the Committee of the
Home it was decided to swab the throat of every person in the building
to discover what I felt must be present, that was, a number of
"carrier" cases. It was arranged to place the matter in the hands of
Dr. Embleton, bacteriologist and pathologist of University College
Hospital, the Public Health Committee agreeing to pay £20 as a
contribution to the cost of these proceedings. Dr. Embleton attended
at, the Home on February 26th, and he then decided that he would
personally conduct the swabbing which should include everyone in
the building. It was also decided that the swabbing should be done
within four hours, and no child who had been swabbed should be
allowed to mix with those that had not been swabbed until the final
swabbing was completed, and that the report should be a report
to the Borough Council. On the following day, February 27th, all
the inmates of the Home were injected with anti-toxin, this being
supplied by the Borough Council and conducted by the medical staff
of the institution. The report of the bacteriologist was submitted on
February 28th, and was of such an important character that I think it
useful to print the report in full, together with the recommendations of
Dr. Embleton for dealing with the matter :
24, Weymouth Street, W.
February 28th, 1914.
Report on the Throats of the Inmates of the Royal Soldiers' Daughters'
Home, Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead.
I examined the throats of the inmates on February 26th, 1914,
and made cultures from the throats and suspicious nasal cases, with the
following results:—
The results are put in four headings: —
1st. Klebs Loeffler Bacillus, characteristic in all its morphological
features; the diphtheria bacillus.
2nd. Diphtheroid Bacilli, which are intermediate in their
morphological characteristics between the true diphtheria
bacillus and the true Hoffman's Bacillus.
These bacteria should be regarded with the gravest
suspicion, since, as a matter of practical experience, they
may be the infecting organisms in definite diphtheria
infection.
3rd. The classical Hoffman's Bacillus.
4th. The other predominating organisms.
I examined the throats of the inmates 011 February 26th, 1911,
and made cultures from the throats and suspicious nasal cases, with the
following results:—
The results are put in four headings: —
1st. Klebs Loeffler Bacillus, characteristic in all its morphological
features ; the diphtheria bacillus.
2nd. Diphtheroid Bacilli, which are intermediate in their
morphological characteristics between the true diphtheria
bacillus and the true Hoffman's Bacillus.
These bacteria should be regarded with the gravest
suspicion, since, as a matter of practical experience, thev
may be the infecting organisms in definite diphtheria
infection.
3rd. The classical Hoffman's Bacillus.
4th. The other predominating organisms.