4
relied on as an accessory indication, some of these early cases might by suitable
treatment be cured.
Gonococcus.—The number increased by 50 per cent. as did the positive finds.
Cholera —(Stools, etc.).—Specimens of this kind showed a very large increase
from 4 to 62 and 35.5 per cent. gave positive results. This large increase was due
to an investigation carried out at Royapuram to test the value of the Hypertonic
Saline Injection treatment. Only cases proved bacteriologically to be genuine
cholera were taken into consideration. This is a very necessary precaution when
making a comparative study as many cases showing choleraic symptoms are not
true cholera.
Bacillus Typhosus.—Specimens of stools and blood were submitted for the
isolation of this organism. It was isolated from one stool. From two other stools
and one blood, organisms strongly resembling the B. Typhosus, but not conform
- i n g t o e v e r y t e s t f o r t h a t o r g a n i s m w e r e i s o l a t e d . I t s e e m s l i k e l y t h a t t h e r e a r e a
considerable number of organisms of this class that can give rise to symptoms not
unlike typhoid fever.
Diphtheria .—There was a large increase in the number of positive finds from
5 to 21, notwithstanding that the number of specimens submitted for examination
fell from 86 to 56. The detection of diphtheria bacilli in 37.5 per cent. of the
specimens submitted for examination would not have been credited a few
years ago.
Treponema Pallidum .—No positive finds were made in smears sent for this
examination. Sections from 43 macerated fœtuses were examined but the positive
finds fell from the usual 25 per cent. to 14 per cent. There seems little doubt
that from one cause or another it is not possible to detect the Treponema Pallidum
in all cases that may have had syphilis as a cause for the death of the fœtus. It
is interesting to note that the blood of the mothers of 14 out of the 37 macerated
fœtuses which failed to show the organism, gave a positive Wassermann reaction.
Details as to this are shown in Table III.
TABLE III.
No.
Date of
despatch.
Number
of
preg
-nancy.
History of former
pregnancies.
Notes of fœtus.
Remarks.
Result of
Wasser
-mann's
reaction.
Result of
examination.
1913.
1 15th Dec. . . . Third.
Two natural . . .
Macerated . . . No history of syphilis in
e i t h e r p a r e n t .
Positive
weak.
No spirochætes
could be found.
2 18th " . . .
First.
. . .
Macerated pre
-mature 6
months.
. . .
Positive
moderate.
Do.
3 20th " . . .
Seventh All natural at home.
All born alive.
Macerated . . .
. . .
. . .
Do.
1914.
4 10th Jan. . . .
. . .
. . .
Do. . . .
. . .
Negative . . .
D o .
5 14th " . . .
. . .
. . .
Do. . . .
. . .
Positive
weak .
(Original.)
Do.
6 30th " . . .
First.
. . .
Do. . . . Mother has got a chancre
in the vagina. She is
blind in both eyes, the
result of small-pox when
young.
. . .
Do.
7
3rd Feb. . . . Third
Both natural . . .
Do. . . .
Case of pernicious anæmia.
No history of syphilis in
either parent.
. . .
Do.
8 16th " . . .
First.
. . .
Do. . . .
. . .
. . .
D o .
9 24th " . . .
Fourth. Normal . . .
Do. . . .
. . .
Positive
strong.
Do.
10 26th " . . .
Do.
. . .
Do. . . .
. . .
. . .
Do.
11
2nd Mar. . . . Third. Both natural at home.
Do. . . . No history of syphilis in
either parent. Prema
-ture delivery at 6 months.
Positive
strong.
Spirochætes
present in very
large numbers.
12 11th " . . .
Do.
Two premature deli
-veries.
Do. . . .
. . .
. . .
No spirochætes
could be found.
13 16th " . . .
First.
. . .
Do. . . . No history of syphilis in
either parent.
Positive
strong.
Do.