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157
As is already known to many who will peruse this report, the Council's hospital
service, and especially that branch of the organisation which is directly concerned
with the pathological service, suffered a severe blow by the death in April, 1935,
of Dr. J. A. Braxton Hicks, who had held the post of pathologist in charge of the
group laboratory at Lambeth hospital since October, 1931. Dr. Hicks had proved
himself to be a most capable organiser, and much of the success which has accompanied
the development of the pathological service is due to his advice and help.
Dr. Braxton
Hicks.
The reports of the pathologists contain references to the progressive increase
in the work in the group and hospital laboratories.
Dr. Goodhart (group laboratory, St. Mary Abbots hospital) states that the new
buildings of the group laboratory were opened on the 8th March, but that it was
not until some weeks afterwards that the group laboratory at Archway hospital
could be relieved of the work that had been undertaken there for the general hospitals
in the western area of London.
Summary
of reports
submitted
by the
directors,
pathologists
inil histologist
in
charge of
the main
laboratories.
Dr. J. M. Alston (group laboratory, Archway hospital) reports as follows :—
Cases of pernicious anaemia are collected in a special unit at St. Mary, Islington, hospital,
and during the year some 35 of these were very fully investigated in order first to establish that
the diagnosis was correct and, if so, to test the efficacy of four new preparations of liver extract.
Reports were made on the results of the test. Dr. R. F. L Hewlett undertook most of the worn
in this connection.
During February and March the incidence of brucella abortus infection among the dairy
cattle on the estate farm at one of the Council's mental hospitals was investigated. By agglutination
tests of blood serum and milk it was determined that 86 out of 222 (38 per cent.) of the cows
showed evidence of the infection.
By the very valuable co-operation of Dr. W. M. Scott, Ministry of Health, unusually full
facilities have been made available for investigating the bacterial cause of outbreaks of food
poisoning. During 1934, material from 14 outbreaks has been thoroughly examined. In several
cases the material was obtained by the kind co-operation of the medical officers ol health of the
metropolitan boroughs.
A short paper on an outbreak of food poisoning due to B. dysenteries
(Sonne), by Dr. J. M. Alston, pathologist, Archway group laboratory, and Dr.
J. R. Tree of Highgate hospital, will be published in vol. IV, part III,
of this report.
The infection of sewer workers with leptospira ictero-heemorrhagise has been
enquired into. With the help of the chief engineer's department, rats and slime
from the sewers have been examined, and in specimens of both the presence of
virulent leptospira ictero-haemorrhagise has been demonstrated. The clinical and
pathological reports of three cases of the infection which have been treated in the
Council's hospitals are being prepared for publication.
Four cases of a rare infection with an organism which has been provisionally
named actinomyces necrophorus have been detected, and it is hoped that there
will be an opportunity to make a full study of the organism and its pathogenicity.
The swabbing of midwives who have been in attendance on parturient women,
notified as suffering from puerperal fever, has been carried out at the group laboratory,
Lambeth hospital, and the late Dr. J. A Braxton Hicks reported as follows :—
The routine has been to swab the throat, nose and fingers of these midwives and to follow
up the bacteriological history of the parturients whom they have attended. The results have
been as follows : 30 midwives swabbed, and of the 26 who were found to be completely free from
haemolytic streptococci, the parturients in 10 cases showed haemolytic streptococci in cultures
taken from the cervix. One of these parturients gave a positive blood culture. Four midwives
and the parturients attended by them were found to have haemolytic streptococci in the swabbings
examined, one of the parturients gave also a positive blood culture; in only one of these
four midwives was the haemolytic streptococcus from the throat identical with that obtained
from the cervical culture from the parturient.
All the children selected for adoption from the Council's residential schools
were sent to the group laboratory at Lambeth hospital for serological tests for
syphilis. Of the 32 children tested during the year, one was found to be positive.
Adoption was not allowed in this case.
As in previous years the reports on post-mortem examinations made at Lambeth
hospital have been classified, together with those at St. James' and St. Giles'
hospitals, the two last named being classified by Drs. Piggot and Mitchell, respectively.