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171
1899
BACTERIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSES.
At the beginning of the third quarter of 1898 the Public
Health Committee decided to enter into an arrangement with the
Jenner Institute to have bacteriological examinations made, free of
charge for medical men practising in Islington, of the sputum and
blood of any of their patients suspected to be suffering from
diphtheria or enteric fever. The result has been a complete success,
and has quite justified the action of the Committee, for it has
enabled physicians to make positive diagnoses in 252 instances. As
the examinations for these diseases had been availed of by many of
the medical profession, I recommended the Committee at the close
of 1898 to go one step farther and to make bacteriological examinations
for the detection of phthisis in its early stages, when its
symptoms are ill defined, and when at best the disease has been
only suspected. The Committee readily acted on my advice, and
immediately made arrangements with the same corporation to make
the necessary examinations. The medical profession at once took
advantage of the Vestry's offer, so that during the year 79 specimens
of mucous secretions from the lungs or throat of patients
were examined. In 36 instances the disease was found to be
present while in 43 the tubercle bacilli could not be detected. The
examinations for diphtheria were 97, of which 47 resulted in the
disease being diagnosed, while 50 gave negative results.
The "Widal reaction" was sought for in 76 specimens of blood
obtained from patients suspected to be suffering from Enteric Fever,
of which 25 gave positive and 51 negative results.
I have received many letters from medical men expressing
their thanks for the trouble taken in the matter by the Public
Health Department. I am glad to think that its work in this
direction has been appreciated, and that it has been the means
of diagnosing so many doubtful or obscure cases of diphtheria,
enteric fever, and phthisis.
M 2