ANNEAL REPORT UPON THE WORK OF THE BACTERIO-
LOGICAL SECTION OF THE KING INSTITUTE OF
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE, WINDY, FOR THE YEAR
1907.
During the official year Captain S. R. Christophers, I.M.S., was placed on
special duty in order to investigate the Etiology of Blackwater Fever in the Duars ;
in his absence Captain W. S. Patton, I.M.S., was appointed toto act as Superin-
tendent of the Institute.
1. The work of the Bacteriological Section may be conveniently divided into--
(i) Routine work which consists of the examination and report on patho
_
logical specimens and the bacteriological analysis of water samples.
(ii) Research.
(iii) Educational.
(i) ROUTINE WORK.
During the year 1,893 specimens were received from Medical officers, Sanitary
authorities , plague officials and others ; they were sent for the diagnosis of typhoid
fever and the septicæmia of Bruce (Malta Fever), tumours and growths; for the
presence of tubercle bacilli, diptheria bacilli, gonococci, plague bacilli, malaria and
Kala-Azar parasites, and water samples for bacteriological examination. Some of
this work calls for special remarks-
1. Plague.—Owing to the recent outbreak of plague at Poonamallee as well
as the energetic measures now being undertaken in many parts of the Presidency
against rats, a large number of plague specimens were forwarded for examination.
stances. The majority were spleen smears of rats which had died under suspicious circum
stances. In each case in which the result was positive a telegram was despatched
to the plague authority as well as to the Collector of the District ; the authorities
we re thus able to take immediate action.
It is not definitely known what species of rat is chiefly associated with the
dissemination of plague in this Presidency. Dr. Hossack of the Plague Department,
Calcutta, has found that the rat most concerned with plague in Calcutta is Nesokia
bengalensis and ill a recent publication * he has given an excellent guide for the
identification of Indian rats. Work on similar lines in the plague-stricken towns of
this Presidency would undoubtedly be of great value.
2. Malaria.—Two hundred and sixty-six specimens of blood for the detection
-of the malaria parasites were received and reported on. In last year's report the
necessity of the estimation of the endemic index of different localities was pointed out
by Captain Christop
hers and during this year in only one instance from Maymyo,
Bu rma, was it possible to work out the endemic index which was 71 per cent. In
v olume I of the special studies connected with this report will be found a paper
(No. IV) by Assistant surgeon T. Seethapathy Iyer, L.M.S., and Assistant Surgeon
X. Srinivasa Raghava Iyengar, L.M.S., which gives an account of some investiga-
Lions into the malarial fever prevalent in the villages along the Buckingham canal.
DItrhis district has lona. been notorious for a very virulent form of malaria which
rc
long
dates back to the years 1902-1904 when the present railway was constructed.
Large numbers of coolies from Cuddapah were employed in this work and presumably
they were infected with the form of malignant malaria from that district. The
excavations of pits along the railway line together with those in the casuarina
plantations undoubtedly increased the breeding grounds of Anopheles mosquitoes.
S ince then there are constant outbreaks of severe malaria and the once fashionable
atering p l a c e o f E n n o r e ( K a t h i a w a k u m ) h a s b e e n e n t i r e l y d e s e r t e d . T h e
* Memoirs of the Indian Museum, vol. 1, No. I—An account of the rats of Calcutta by W. C. Hossack, M.D.