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no comment, when it is remembered that the earlier the proper
treatment, the greater the chance of permanent good (if not complete
recovery); whilst the good that must accrue from being able
to advise patients and their friends that the disease in dispute is
not one of Tuberculosis (or Consumption) goes without saying.
Typhoid Fever.
178 samples of blood from suspected Typhoid cases have been
examined, and in 97 (54.5 per cent.) the characteristic Re-action
of Widal has been obtained. This Re-action consists of the cessation
of movement, and the agglutination (or clumping), of Typhoid
germs, when treated with a drop of serum or blood taken from a
patient actually suffering at the time, or previously having suffered,
from Typhoid. The great value of this aid to diagnosis in
Typhoid fever has been proved recently in connection with outbreaks
of the disease that have occurred in Lambeth Parish—
many doubtful cases having been discovered by this means, afterwards
isolated in hospital, and the further spread of the disease
thereby prevented. Several persons were proved to be suffering
from Typhoid by means of the Bacteriological test alone (the
clinical symptoms being negative); whilst others were shown by
this test to be not suffering from Typhoid, though the clinical
symptoms appeared to point to the opposite conclusion.
Diphtheria.
620 samples of throat membranes and secretions from doubtful
Diphtheria cases have been examined, and in 191 (i.e., 30.8
per cent.) the true Klebs-Loèffler Diphtheria-Bacilli obtained.
In this way, on the one hand, patients suffering from true Diphtheria
have been properly isolated in Hospital, and the necessary
precautions taken to prevent the extension of the disease; whilst
on the other hand, patients suffering from doubtful Diphtheria,
have not been sent to Hospital, and thereby run the risk (an actual
one at times) of contracting the real disease whilst there. Again,
there are infectious sore throats other than diphtheritic, and by
means of Bacteriological examinations such throats are, at times,
found to be associated with the Pseudo-Bacilli of Hoffman.
These pseudo-cases can be thus discovered and isolated, and the