4
Discharges for gonococci. —Two specimens more than in the previous year were
sent but positive finds diminished by three and there were three more cases where
a definite diagnosis could not be given.
Stools, urine, vomit, blood, etc., for cholera and typhoid bacilli. —All
these gave
no positive results.
Diphtheria. —There was a sharp fall from 56 to 34 in the number of specimens
submitted but the high percentage of 38.2 in positive finds is even higher than
that of last year.
Treponema Pallidum .—Many fewer macerated fœtuses were sent for the
detection of this parasite and the percentage in which it was found fell from 14
to 12.
Water for cholera-like vibrios, —The circulation of sterile bottles and tubes of
special medium for the detection of cholera-like vibrios was continued this year.
The number of samples fell from 74 to 30, but cholera-like vibrios were found in
the high percentage of 43.
Barker's Stovaine Solution. —A new material in the shape of Barker's sterilised
glucose stovaine solution for spinal anæsthesia was issued this year. Shortly
after the war broke out, some difficulty was experienced by Surgeons in getting
this material. A main difficulty was the want of Jena glass capsules. Ordinary
glass capsules when sterilised with watery solutions give off alkali and this des-
troys the stovaine. It was found that if the capsules were filled with dilute
hydrochloric acid, sterilised and subsequently washed with distilled water, all the
superficial alkali was removed from the glass and the capsules could then be used.
for sterilising the stovaine solution in.
Torfit urinal tiles and Disinfecting fluid. —A series of experiments was carried
out to test the disinfecting efficiency of these proprietary articles and a report was
sent to the Secretary of the Sanitary Board on the subject.
Vaccine Therapy. —There was a large fall in the number . of autogenous vaccines
prepared, which was apparently due to a number of medical officers who were
usually supplying material for such vaccines having proceeded to the front. On
account of an unusually wide prevalence of enteric in the city a campaign of anti-
typhoid inoculation was carried on, which accounts for the large number of doses
of typhoid prophylactic having been issued during the year. The demand for
gonococcus vaccines and tuberculin continued to be great and an analysis of the
results obtained by the use of these vaccines by medical men in the City and
mufassal is appended.
Of the 129 autogenous vaccines prepared, the large majority, that is 85, were,
as usual, for the use of medical officers and practitioners in Madras City. As during
previous years a large number of these vaccines were either not used at all or not
reported upon, as many as 23 having been reported not used' and the result
in another 20 cases being put down as not known.'
The 129 autogenous vaccines were supplied to different institutions as
follows:—
TABLE III.
The General Hospital, Madras . . .
35
The Royapettah
H o s p i t a l R o y a p e t t a h . . .
1
The Monegar Choultry Hospital, Rayapuram . . .
3
The Madras Lunatic Asylum, Kilpauk . . .
6
The Government Maternity Hospital , Egmore . . .
4
The Government Ophthalmic Hospital, Egmore . . .
1
The Station Hospital, Fort St. George . . .
4
The Penitentiary, Madras . . .
2
Private practitioners and medical officers in Madras City . . .
29
Hospitals and medical men in the mufassal . . .
44
Total . . .
129