View report page

42
from that house are allowed to return to school until they
have been certified free from infection after a bacteriological
examination. 189 home contacts were examined by the
Medical Officer of Health, and 26 carriers, or mild cases of
Diphtheria, were found. The carriers were excluded from
school until the diphtheria bacillus had disappeared ; the
eases showing any symptoms were notified and isolated.
The Medical Officer from the Royal Arsenal examined
employees from infected houses before allowing them to
return to work, and discovered four bacteriological or carrier
cases.
52. Mistaken Diagnosis. 18 cases, or 10 per cent. of
notifications, were, after removal to hospital, stated to be
not Diphtheria. The percentage of the three preceding
years was 14, 8, and 10, respectively.
53. Source of Injection. In 39 cases, a probable source
of infection was noted, viz., in 16, other inmates of the
house were known or suspected to be the source; in 5,
schoolmates; 5, neighbours and friends; 1, a return case;
2, general hospitals; and in 5 the infection was caught
while in the Fever Hospital on account of Scarlet Fever.
The one return case had rhinorrhcea, but Diphtheria bacilli
were not found. One home return case occurred, after
release of a patient notified with Scarlet Fever.
54. Bacteriological Diagnosis. 526 (768 in 1909) swabs
were sent to the Lister Institute to be examined for the
presence of Diphtheria bacillus. In 73 (90 in 1909) the
true Klebs Loffler bacillus was found (in 7 of these Hoffman's
bacillus co-existed with the Klebs Loffler bacillus);