375
sary appliances required, as Dr. Galeotti wished the manufacture to be begun with-
out delay, as in a few weeks the supply of serum from Florence would cease.
7. In May a further list of cases treated with this serum was sent in from the
Arthur Road Hospital. 155 cases were treated and 95 died, giving a mortality
61·29 per cent, against an average mortality of about 82 per cent, amongst cases
treated without serum. Amongst these 95 cases 25 were moribund, and if these
are deducted a reduction to 53·84 per cent, would be obtained. The serum from
No. 1 Horse was again found weak and gave less favourable results. ( Vide letter
No. 518 of 1898 from the Aithur Road Hospital.)
8. The services of Dr. Galeotti and Dr. Polverini (his Assistant) were taken
on by the Corporation from the 1st June 1898 for the manufacture of the serum.
9. In September a further list of cases treated by Lustig's serum was sent in
by Dr. Choksey. The total number of cases treated were 207, out of which 117
died and 90 recovered, giving a mortality of 56·50 per cent. Out of these cases
30 were moribund cases which, if excluded, would give a mortality of 49·15 per
cent. The results, even including the 30 moribund cases, are nearly 20 per cent,
better than the average of other hospitals. It was again found that there was amelio-
ration of symptoms and prolonging of life in very advanced cases. (Vide letter
No. 21067 of 1898-99, from the Executive Health Officer.)
The total number of cases treated with the serum sent out from Florence, up to the
end of October was 257 ; of these 145 died and 112 recovered, giving a mortality rate-
of 56·42 per cent. During the same period 752 cases were treated without serum, and
of these 595 died, and 157 recovered, giving a mortality rate of 79·12 per cent.
10. In October 1898, the necessary number of horses, viz. 5, and the apparatus-
required for the manufacture of this serum was obtained, and the Laboratory at Parez
started work. The horses were inoculated from the 1st November. A 6th horse
and a donkey were purchased in January 1899.
11. On the 6th December, from an infiltration on the shoulder of oneofthe-
horses, serum was obtained and a very severe case of plague treated with it at the
Arthur Road Hospital with satisfactory result. On the 11th January, 2 horses had
completed their course of treatment, and from the serum obtained from them, on the
15th and 16th January, cases were treated a couple of days after.
12. Professor Lustig came out to Bombay to see the working of the Laboratory
as conducted by Dr. Galeotti and Polverini at Parel at the end of January 1899, and
as the result of his investigations, letter No. 32724 of the 1st February is published,
and will be found very interesting.
No. 32724 OF 1ST FEBRUARY 1899.
To THE MUNICIPAL COMMISSIONER.
Sir,—I have the honour to forward herewith a very interesting and valuable
memorandum by Prof, Lustig on the measures that have been taken for the prepara-
tion of the curative serum of Prof. Lustig. It is very gratifying to find that Prof.
Lustig is thoroughly satisfied with all that has been done. His opinions on the
destruction of rats are most interesting in view of the experiments that have been
made since 1896.—I have, &c.,
T. S. WEIR, Health Officer.
MEMO.
1. Haying obtained from the Italian Government leave only up to the 10th
of February, I must start from Bombay, and I regret it is impossible for me to give
my evidence before the Plague Commission.