3
TABLE II— cont .
Number.
Description of specimens.
Number of
positive
results.
Number of
negative
results.
Total.
Remarks.
19
Diphtheria . . .
13
21
34
20
Stools for ova and amœbæ . . .
§ 4
14
18
Three:amœbæ were found.
21
Urine for chemical and micro-
scopical examination.
. . .
. . .
4
22
Specimens for
spirochætes
(fœtuses).
3
22
25
23
Water for cholera-like vibrios ...
13
17
30
24
Water samples for chemical
analyses.
. . .
. . .
498
25
Water samples for bacterio-
logical examination.
. . .
. . .
1,103 This includes 866 samples from Experi-
mental Filters at Guindy and 146
samples from the Madras Corporation
Filter Beds at Kilpauk, Madras.
26
Miscellaneous . . .
. . .
. . .
25
Total
. . . 1,078
1,674
4,382
Plague.—The total drop which amounts to 13.5 percent is more than accounted
for by the diminished number of plague specimens sent. The fall under this head
is no less than 65 per cent. In spite of this however there was a marked rise in
the number of positive finds.
Under human specimens this rise amounts to 19 per cent and in animal
specimens it is 41 per cent. The number of useless specimens of human peripheral
blood for plague detection continues high, 15.7 per cent. Some of these purported
to be bubo smears but the needle had not gone deep enough and only blood from
the tissues superficial to the bubo had been obtained.
Widal's Reaction.—Specimens for this test show a rise of nearly 34 per cent
but the percentage showing some positive reaction fell to 58.9. The fall was con--
fined to those showing the reaction in 1-96 dilution and amounted to 4 per cent.
There was a slight rise of 1.3 per cent in reactions at 1-32 dilution.
Agglutination test for (a) Paratyphoid A. —The number of specimens sent was
exactly the same but positive results were less than half and as usual none gave
a positive reaction at 1-96. This type of infection can be stated to be of no
importance in Madras.
(b) Paratyphoid B. —The number of specimens rose from 174 to 197 and
the positive results from 32 to 39 but here again it was only in the lower dilution
of 1-32 that positive results were got. In no case was a positive reaction obtained
with either A or B unless there was also a positive reaction with typhoid germs.
These tests therefore seem of small value in Madras.
Wassermann's Reaction.— The number of specimens submitted rose slightly
from 534 to 553, but the positive results fell from 338 to 288. The method used
was thé same as last year, a combination of the Original and Levaditi's methods
and definite results were obtained.
Malarial parasites.— The number of blood films sent shewed a great decline
from 644 to 356, and the decline in positive finds from 83 to 46 was a comparable one.
Kala-Azar .—One positive find was made out of eight cases examined, but there
was some doubt about two of the others.
Filaria .—Eight bloods were examined for this parasite and it was found in
one.
Leucocytosis.— Eight out of 48 proved positive, a proportion nearly twice as
great as last year, but the specimens sent were less than half.
Sput um and speci mens f or Tuber cl e Baci l l i . —T h e
s p e c i m e n s s e n t f e l l f r o m 5 2
to 44 and the positive finds were in much the same proportion.
Specimens for Lepra Bacilli. —These fell from 11 to 6 and the bacteria were
only found in one.
1-a