126
Another laboratory carried out similar tests on 80 newly employed menials
but in this case also results were negative.
Diphtheria.—Throat swabs from 3,332 individuals suspected of suffering
from diphtheria were examined during the year of which 177 were positive
for C. diphtheriae. In all 4,634 bacteriological examinations were made 394
being found positive.
The positive cases occurred in Commands as follows: Northern Com
-mand (35), Eastern Command (61), Southern Command (80), and Western
(I.) District (l).
Nasal swabs from 192 suspicious cases were bacteriologically examined
with positive findings on 24 occasions. Again this year all virulence tests
were carried out by injection and post mortem examination of guinea pigs
in addition to the intra-dermal test.
During the year small outbreaks of diphtheria occurred in Bangalore,
Madras and Wellington, in all 30 cases were diagnosed which included 10
children. During investigations undertaken as the result of these cases a
total of seven carriers was detected. Sixty-seven children were immunized
with T. A. F. and after immunization no further cases occurred. It was not
possible to Schick test the children either before or after immunization but the
cessation of cases leads one to believe that the procedure was successful.
Small outbreaks also occurred at Subathu and Sialkot but in each case
subsided as soon as the responsible carriers were found and treated.
One Laboratory investigated thirty-three cases of chronic ulcers from
which men of a British Regiment were suffering after serving in Waziristan,
in three cases virulent C. diphtheriae were isolated from the ulcers.
In the Southern Command Laboratory, Poona, the swab method for the
detection of K. L. B. as described by Manzillo in the British Medical Journal
was given an extensive trial.
The results obtained were in accordance with other wokers; viz., in some
positive cases a quick diagnosis was possible but false positives were frequently
obtained, on the other hand a negative finding afforded presumptive evidence
against diphtheria.
Cerebrospinal Fever.—A total of 37 individuals were diagnosed cerebro
-spinal meningitis during 1939, positive cultures of meningococci were obtained
from 22. The majority of the remaining cases were diagnosed as the result
of examination of deposits in out-stations where laboratory facilities for bacte
-riological examination did not exist. Of the 22 positive cultures 5 belonged
to Group I and 13 to Group II, four were not classified.
A total of 284 cultures from cerebrospinal fluid of cases of varying nature,
including the above, were made during the year, the great majority of which
were from laboratories situated in Northern Command (129). It is interesting
to note that exactly the same number of examinations was carried out last
year by the same laboratories. Cell counts totalled 397, microscopical examina
-tion of deposits 300, Lange's gold chloride test 98, chemical examinations
e.g., globulin chlorides, etc., 412. Two hundred and ninety Wassermann tests
were carried out on cerebrospinal fluid in Poona, Rawalpindi, Quetta and
Meerut.
Fevers of the Typhus Group. —A total of 90 cases were diagnosed typhus
fever during the year, on serological grounds. The following table shows the
type of infection and Commands in which the cases occurred.