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40
At a meeting of the Sanitary Committee held on the 28th June, I
presented the following report:—
"Respecting the bacteriological examination of doubtful cases of
diphtheria and typhoid fever, a copy of the Board's Resolution of the
14th February, with a copy of the report of the Medical Officer to the
Sanitary Committee, dated 26th January, was sent on the 27th February
to 72 Practitioners in the district and its immediate vicinity;
at the same time, a letter was forwarded asking whether, in doubtful
cases of typhoid fever and diphtheria, the Practitioner would be
willing to avail himself of the opportunity offered by the Board to
arrive at correct diagnoses, more especially where no objection is
raised to the removal of such cases to isolation hospitals. Sixteen
answers were received.
"On the 4th April, 16 diphtheria and a like number of typhoid
fever diagnosis outfits, were delivered to those Practitioners who had
replied to the communication. After the 4th April, 6 Medical
Practitioners applied personally for outfits.
"Since the 4th April, 13 "swabbings" from throats of suspected
cases of diphtheria have been sent on to the Board's Offices, and
then forwarded to the Jenner Institute of Preventive Medicine to be
examined bacteriologically.
"The bacillus diphtheriae was isolated in 4 instances, in 5 cases
the diphtheritic germ was not found, and in 4 swabbings the socalled
pseudo bacillus diphtheriae was isolated, which is a germ nonvirulent
to animals; so that out of 13 patients suspected to be
suffering from diphtheria, only 4 had the complaint.
"In the above 13 instances, 5 notifications were received. The
Practitioners refrained from notifying until they had learnt the result
of the examination.
"A notification of diphtheria was received from an institution
outside the district, The mother of the patient, against the wish of