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63
Bacteriological Laboratory.
During the year 175 examinations have been made at the Lister
Institute at a cost of £23 8s. 4d., with the subjoined results.

Hoffman's pseudo-diphtheria bacillus was found in 14 instances of
suspected diphtheria; staphyloeci only were found in three instances;
in which the appearance of the throat was similar to that found in
diphtheria. Several organisms besides the Kleb's Loffler may cause
death of the mucous membranes of the throat. Such conditions have
been found in scarlet fever, typhoid fever, &c. In two instances
children had suffered from sore throats, but no suspicion was raised
that they were diphtheritic in origin until other persons developed the
disease. Bacteriological examination then gave negative results.
One case of suspected typhoid, in which the Widal reaction was.
obtained, was returned from hospital as not suffering from that disease-
In addition to those mentioned above, many medical men and
hospitals obtain reports on their cases from private or hospital
laboratories.
Disinfection.
Below is shown the number of rooms and articles disinfected by the
Staff of the Department. The premises included 75 rooms in 8 schools
and 4 sets of offices; 5 vehicles were also disinfected. In 8 cases of
infectious disease treated at home the laundry linen was collected
weekly and disinfected.
Disinfection was carried out after all cases of the notifiable diseases,
except as regards erysipelas (in which disinfection was performed in.
25 instances, when the circumstances of the case required it), and also
after '60 cases of measles, 3 chicken-pox, 20 cancer, 8 influenza, 1 mumps,
5 whooping cough, and 145 phthisis. In 9 cases the premises, &c.,
were disinfected privately, certificates being produced to that effect.
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