View report page

Bacteriological Laboratory.
The total number of specimens examined in 1918 was 1,055,
as compared with 1,212 in 1917, and 689 in 1916.
Table C .
Results of Examination.
Total
Examinations.
Nature of Specimen.
Positive.
Negative.
1917
1918
1917
1918
1917
1918
Diphtheria (specimens taken by
Medical Officer of Health)
Ditto (taken by general
practitioners)
57
663
524
74
589
467
210
242
80
58
130
184
Diphtheria (total specimens taken)
873
766
154
115
719
651
Phthisis
333
281
77
51
256
230
Enteric
1
7
-
1
1
6
Various
5
1
1
1
4
-
Total specimens taken
1,055
1,212
232
168
980
887
SPECIAL REPORT ON INFLUENZA.
I beg to submit the following report on the epidemic of Influenza
during 1918:—
the deaths from influenza during 1918
(184 males and 244 females), thus giving a death-rate for
this disease of 3.95 per thousand living of the civil population.
Deaths from the ordinary infectious diseases were 1.13
per thousand of the civil population, and for tuberculosis
2.15, and for these two combined 3.26. It is thus evident
that influenza was more deadly than all the infectious
diseases including tuberculosis put together. In order to
compare the two, something must, however, be deducted
from the figures for influenza, because in the figures 428 is
included every death in which the word influenza was mentioned,
so that it is quite possible that many who are recorded
as having died from influenza were already suffering