2
REPORT ON THE WORKING OF THE KING INSTITUTE, GUINDY
Civil Assistant Surgeon M. K. Ramaswami Ayyar, who was on reserve
duty at the Institute, was sent to Olavakot in charge of the Malaria unit
from 8th. March to 7th September 1924. After the completion of the
malarial work he was transferred to South Arcot district.
Military Assistant Surgeon H. M. Lafrenais, I.M.D., who was transferred
from the Pasteur Institute of Southern India, Coonoor, worked here from
25th May 1924 until 30th June 1924 when he was transferred to Bombay
Bacteriological Laboratory.
Government in their G.O. Mis. No. 289, P.H., dated 6th February 1925,
declared the Senior Chemical Assistant and the Senior Bacteriological
Assistant of this Institute to be gazetted officers for all purposes, includ
- i n g t h o s e o f a u d i t .
Buildings.—The Institute, which was opened in 1905 and partly
extended in 1914, is already unable to meet the requirements of its
increased activities and modern research, and needs to be thoroughly
r e m o d e l l e d ; C o l . C u n n i n g h a m i n h i s l e t t e r R . C . N o . 1 5 7 2 9 - 2 V . , d a t e d 2 9 t h
April 1923, submitted a suitable scheme suggesting certain alterations to
buildings to bring the Institute up to date. The improvements, some of
which have been already sanctioned, concern :—
(1) The vaccine section.
(2) The main building.
(3) The out-buildings.
(4) Housing for the staff.
(5) Electric lighting, sewage
installation, etc.
(1) The vaccine section.—This section is now thoroughly out of date.
A certain portion of the work of preparing vaccine lymph is at present
being carried out in an old-fashioned operating room which is fully
exposed to outside air and dust and is away from the main building,
while the operations of grinding, diluting and loading the lymph have to
be done in the main building itself in a room, which is also used for
bacteriological examination of water. This is very unsatisfactory, for it
is likely to lead to contamination of the lymph. That nothing has hap
- p e n e d s o f a r i s s o l e l y d u e t o t h e e x t r e m e c a r e a n d t h e m o s t s c r u p u l o u s
precautions which are specially observed in carrying out this work. A
proposal has therefore been put forward for a separate up-to-date vaccine
section block including a modern operating room, with the necessary
adjuncts and a laboratory for experimental work. These improvements
are extremely important and very necessary and this work should be
taken in hand without any further delay. Government in their G.O.
Press No. 1850, P.H., dated 9th November 1923, have already sanctioned the
erection of this new vaccine block as "very emergent work to be under
-taken in 1924-25." The plans and estimates and detailed drawings show
- i n g t h e n e c e s s a r y f u r n i t u r e a n d e q u i p m e n t h a v e a l r e a d y b e e n p r e p a r e d .
The acquisition of sufficient grazing ground for animals and the construc
- t i o n o f a s h e d f o r f i n i s h e d c a l v e s h a v e a l s o b e e n i n c l u d e d i n t h e a b o v e
proposal.
(2) The main building.—Although the building at present accommo-
dates seven laboratories, it is ill-suited for laboratory work ; some of the
rooms are unnecessarily large, others very dark. The scheme proposed by
Col. Cunningham is not very expensive. By the inclusion of the north
verandah and suitable repartitioning of the building, fourteen well
- l i g h t e d a n d u p - t o - d a t e l a b o r a t o r i e s w i l l b e a v a i l a b l e i n a d d i t i o n t o r o o m s
for micro-photographic work, dark rooms and Public Analyst's laboratory.
A large library room—a very necessary adjunct to a Research Institute—is
also provided. This work has also been sanctioned by Government in
their above Government Order as " very emergent work to be undertaken.
in 1924-25 " and should be commenced as early as possible.
The laboratory for the Public Analyst has now been suitably
furnished, except for certain electrical fittings, which it is expected will
be completed within a short time.