6
REPORT OF THE KING INSTITUTE, GUINDY
2. Autogenous vaccines for treatment. —The total issued is a trifle less than last
year's. Very few returns of results of treatment are received. An analysis of
56 complete returns received is given in Table IX, it shows that good results
distinctly preponderated.
3. Other supplies.—These are given in Table X which shows the usefulness of
the Institute in many minor ways such as in making sterile injections of special
drugs, in making glass capsules, in providing media and cultures, etc.
4. Specimens examined. —Table XI gives details. The total for examinations
at the Institute is larger than last year by about 3,000. This is due firstly to a
large increase (2,000) in the Wassermann reactions for syphilis whose total is now
more than 8,500 a year. The second cause of increase is the agglutination test for
the typhoid group which increased by more than a 1,000 to nearly double its total
last year.
5. Anti-sera issued.—Details are in Table XII. The total issued is larger
than last year's by 1,274 ampoules. This increase is an all-round one affecting
all the commoner varieties used.
6. Cases of interest—(a) Pyrexia of uncertain origin.—From the peripheral
blood of two cases of continued fever two organisms were isolated which gave the
sugar reactions of the paratyphoid group but did not react to the laboratory high
titre sera of the known organisms, paras. A, B and C. From the bloods of
two other cases two different organisms of the B.Coli group have been isolated.
Thus these and the two paratyphoid organisms mentioned appear to have been the
causative organisms in four cases of pyrexia of unknown origin.
(b) Empyema. —Micrococcus catarrhalis has been isolated from the pus of a
case of empyema.
(c) Rhinosporidium. —A nasal polypus on section showed the structure of a
typical rhinosporidium with several sporangia in and around the epithelial layers.
Cultures were made on suitable media resulting in the growth of an yeast-
like organism similar to those found in the sections. This corroborates the recent
findings in the investigation of this class of growths by Prof. Ashworth of Edin-
burgh. Attempts at transmitting the disease to laboratory animals have so far
failed. A further study of the organism is being made.
(d) Mycetoma. —From what appeared to be white granules from sinuses in
a case of suspected mycetoma, streptothrix Madurae of the white variety was
isolated.
(e) An interesting case of multiple sinuses and nodules of the abdominal
wall was investigated. Sections of nodules with sinuses revealed a mycetomatous
structure. Cultures were made in suitable media and a hyphomycete of mycetoma
belonging to the black variety of fungus was grown. A special report on the
various organisms of mycetoma isolated at the Institute will be published.
(C) WATER SAMPLES.
1. Work done.—Samples from all protected water supplies are taken and
examined twice a year, in addition samples submitted or called for under special
circumstances are examined. Table XIII gives details. Since the Madras Corpo
-
ration now does its own water analysis, the samples of the Madras water supply
examined this year are very few as compared with the several hundreds done in
previous years, this diminution is reflected in the total number of the samples
examined which is less than last year. Table XIV gives details of the sources of
samples and of the presence of lactose fermenters (the chief criterion of potability)
and gives remarks on the samples based on the complete analysis whose details are
too lengthy for inclusion in the report.
2. Municipal water supplies.—Supplies that call for particular mention are
the following:—
Adōni.—This has been most unsatisfactory for about 18 years. The main supply is from a
tank which dries up in the hot weather for three months or more. The slow sand filters as worked
are practically useless for dealing with the tank water with its high organic content.
Bezwada.—For the last two years samples from the Pumping Station have had a high free
ammonia content which is suspicious of excremental pollution. This has not yet been remedied.