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63
BACTERIOLOGICAL NOTES.
Prior to last year patients were always discharged without any
bacteriological examination of their throats having been made, and
re.urn cases of Diphtheria have been most rare. The result of not
allowing any patient to go out until a swab or culture reveals no
Klebs Loffler bacilli frequently leads to him or her being kept in
hospital twice the length of time than formerly. The question
arises, in view of the above experience, is the extra expenditure so
involved justified ?
Bacteriologists are at present unable to explain how it is that
on the one hand people are often found with bacilli in their throats
which give rise to no clinical symptoms and to no infection to those
in contact with them; while, on the other hand, a person under
similar circumstances can apparently spread the disease wholesale
to those with whom he comes in contact. As in the latter way
serious school epidemics have been demonstrated to have arisen,
it behoves one to exercise every care and err—if err one must—on
safety's side.
ACCOMMODATION.
In September was opened our new Block of 17 beds. This
has been allotted to Diphtheria cases, and the old Diphtheria
Ward is now available for Scarlet Fever. What with this additional
accommodation and the fewer cases of both diseases, I have
had no difficulty in dealing with all cases requiring removal to
hospital.