10
REPORT ON THE WORKING OF THE KING INSTITUTE, GRUINDY
the fact that the majority of the stools were derived from healthy individuals and.
were examined at the instance of the Jail department to see if they were
carriers." The examination of the stools as a diagnostic measure is not
sufficiently practiced in this Presidency.
Seventy-one specimens were examined for the presence of dysentery bacilli.
Specific organisms were found in 20 of these, Shiga's baccillus was present in
7, one or other of the Flexner types in 12 and Morgan's bacillus in 1.
The number of Wasserman reactions performed this year was 3,361 (395
more than last year). This test is now performed three times a week and occupies
the time of a special worker.
A special feature of the year has been the large number of specimens received
for the diagnosis of relapsing fever. In previous years only one or two specimens
were received and in each case a definite history of importation from an infected.
area could be traced. The present year has seen a widespread epidemic in the
Madras Presidency itself which has been reflected by the large number of speci-
mens for diagnosis received at the Institute. Blood smears showing the presence
of spirochaetes were sent from the following places :—
Date.
1. Tanjore ...
. . . .. .
. . .
April 1922.
2. South Arcot
...
...
. . .
February 1923.
3. Salem
•..
...
...
. . .
July 1922.
4. Guntūr ...
...
...
. . .
January and February 1923.
5. Bellary
...
...
...
. . .
February 1923.
6. Anantapur
...
.••
. . .
March 1923.
7. Trichinopoly
. . . ..•
..•
February 1923.
It is thus evident that the disease was and is widely distributed all over
the Madras Presidency.
Specimens of sputum for the diagnosis of plague bacilli were received from
a small and localized outbreak of pneumonic plague which, starting in Ootaca
-mund, showed two secondary foci of infection at Calicut and Cannanore. From
the reports received with the specimens it was evident that the disease was as
usual very fatal.
Nineteen specimens of cerebrospinal fluid were received for cultural purposes.
In seven of these the meningococcus was isolated. The strain in each case
belonged to Gordons Type I.
Seventy-three swabs and cultures for diagnosis of diphtheria were examined
during the year. Thirteen of these proved positive. Three specimens were
derived from cases who had been previously examined. In every case the swabs
were taken from Europeans and with the exception of one which came from
Kodaik ā nal, and one from Nellore, all were sent from the Madras city hospitals.
One of these cases is of special interest in that the specimen was taken from the
conjunctiva of a child.
The number of specimens examined by the Investigation Units gives an
indication of the value of these units. The special diseases, which they were
called upon to investigate, dysentery, cerebrospinal fever, cholera, malaria and
typhoid fever are reflected in the list of specimens. As the results obtained from
the several investigations will be reviewed in more detail later, no further
reference need be made to them here.
(c) Antitoxic Sera.—The Institute as usual continued its role as the purchas-
ing, storing and distributing agency for antitoxic sera for the Madras Presidency.
The demand for these sera has again showed a very marked increase in the
amount of serum supplied (statement No. 14) as compared with that for the year
1921-22 (3,728 bottles in 1922-23 as compared with 2,664 bottles in 1921-22).
Government in their review of the King Institute report for last year recognized
the justice of the claim that the increased cost for these sera should not be
thrown on other heads of the Institute budget but should be borne by a grant
for these sera alone and that separate accounts should be maintained for this