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"cases has become free from diphtheria bacilli, and the patient
"can be discharged with safety and no longer be a centre of
"fresh infection.—The number of examinations made were
"6408, and as these were obtained from 2936 cases
"it is apparent that a considerable number of re-examinations
"had been carried out, either for the purpose of making abso"lutely
certain of the bacteriological diagnosis where it seemed
"at variance with the clinical, or for the purpose of determining
"when a convalescent case might be discharged with safety.—It
"is interesting to observe how far the clinical diagnosis agreed
"with the bacteriological in the different hospitals, This will be
"seen in the following table, in which we have computed the
"percentage of cases which were recognised bacteriologically as
"diphtheria from among those which were returned as clinically
"doubtful or in which no diagnosis was given b) the hospital
" authorities:—
Per cent.
" North-Eastern Hospital 38
" North-Western Hospital 71
" South-Eastern Hospital 68
" South-Western Hospital 56
"Eastern Hospital 61
"Fountain Hospital 69
"Western Hospital 60
"The above figures sufficiently clearly indicate the necessity for
"a bacteriological diagnosis and proves to what an extent the
"opinions of experts may vary as to what is clinically
"diphtheria."
From the above there can be no doubt as to the wise step the
Metropolitan Asylum's Board has taken in this matter. The cases
notified and the condition of the drains of the premises where they
existed were as follow:-