London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Marylebone 1907
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS.
These examinations are conducted by Dr. Eastes, at the Laboratory of Pathology and Public Health, 38, New Cavendish Street, in doubtful cases of Typhoid Fever, Diphtheria and Phthisis, and the following table gives particulars of the number of cases and the result there of:—
| Positive. | Negative. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typhoid Fever | 3 | 10 | 13 |
| Diphtheria | 13 | 25 | 38 |
| Phthisis | 29 | 53 | 82 |
| Totals | 45 | 88 | 133 |
It cannot be too frequently pointed out that a single
negative result in the case of any of the above diseases is of but
little value. In any case where a negative result is obtained it
is strongly advisable to take a second and even a third specimen
for examination—this whether the clinical signs clear up or not.
It is to the interest alike of the public and the patient that this
should be done. A single negative result gives one often a
false sense of security, and if a medical man relying upon such a
result allowed a diphtheritic patient, for example, to mix freely
with others, a disastrous spread of infection might follow. In
the same way typhoid and tubercle infection might be caused to
spread, whilst, in all three diseases, the dangers to the patient
of non-recognition of his illness are all too serious.