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59
Bacteriological Laboratory.
During the year 132 examinations have been made at the Lister
Institute in 100 suspected cases of diphtheria, 22 of typhoid fever, and
8 of pulmonary tuberculosis, at a cost of £20 12s. 8d. At the general
hospitals bacteriological examinations are made in the laboratories of
the medical schools attached thereto.

The report of the bacteriologist is of very considerable value in
assisting medical men in forming a correct diagnosis in doubtful cases,
and may thereby prevent persons not suffering from an infectious
disease being sent to a fever hospital.
Disinfection.
During 1905, 1,177 rooms in 667 houses were disinfected by the Staff
of the Department, 34,703 articles were subjected to steam disinfection
in the City Disinfecting Stations. In addition, a number of
rooms and their contents were disinfected to the satisfaction of medical
men by private firms. 151 articles were destroyed by fire at the
request of the owners.
Disinfection was carried out after all cases of the notifiable diseases,
except as regards erysipelas (in which disinfection was only performed
when the circumstances of the case required it), and also after 36 cases
of measles, 3 German measles, 7 chicken-pox, 1 whooping cough, 15
cancer, 3 influenza, 1 glanders, 1 Mediterranean fever, 1 cholera
(suspicious), 1 mumps, and 49 phthisis. Fifty-two books were disinfected.
Books belonging to the public libraries are, as a rule, treated
by the librarians, a copy of each certificate of infectious disease being
sent to the Chief Librarian.
Shelters.—Six persons were admitted to the temporary shelters
(Horseferry Road and Dufour's Place) during 1905.
One nurse had her clothing disinfected and received a bath at one
of the shelters after attendance on a case of puerperal fever.
The following table gives a comparative statement of the above
work during the past five years :—