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At a meeting of the Sanitary Committee, held on the 26th January,
I presented the following report
"At the end of the year 1897, it will be remembered that a report was
presented to the Committee upon the difficulty of correctly diagnosing
diphtheria by a naked eye examination, and, moreover, it was also
pointed out that a patient could never be declared free from the
specific germ unless a bacteriological examination is made of the
secretion from the throat, the diphtheritic germs remaining in that
portion of the body, perhaps, for many weeks after a patient has been
considered convalescent. A scheme was suggested to the effect that
no premises should be disinfected, nor any child allowed to return to
school until the throat of the patient had been bacteriologically examined.
It was also pointed out that Medical Practitioners differ as
to diagnosis, on account of the difficulty of forming an opinion by a
naked eye examination.
"The Committee deferred further consideration of the matter
pending enquiries to be made by the Medical Officer, of the Medical
Practitioners in his district, as to the arrangements necessary to be
made with them in the event of the scheme being adopted by the
Board.
"A circular letter was addressed to the Medical Practitioners
asking for their views respecting the proposed scheme.