The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-05-09
THE REPORT or THE !
GOVERNMENT BleTERIaLaelsl
Same interesting Facts Regarding
the Demonstration Of sseiIII ia
Cases Of Leprosy.

The following report by Dr. McDC-
maid was read Al the Board of Health
meeting yesterday afternoon and will
De found TO contain many points Of
interest to the layman as wen as to
the scientist;
beg leave 70 submit my report upon
the meteorological work OF the de-
partment for the months OF March and
April
AS il is now generally believed by
the most competent authorities the
world over that the sine qua non OF
oacterium, the Bacillus Leprae, il
seems to me that too much stress
can not be placed upon the import
ance Of efforts 10 demonstrate its
presence in all cases admitted TO the
station and particularly in those
classed as suspects, in whom the clini-
cal symptoms OF the disease are not
fully and satisfactorily developed.
After repeated efforts. with mega
tive results, I have come TO discredit
the statement Of Ball Of Philadelphia.
and other authors who claim that the
serum from q vesicant applied to a
skin lesion shows the bacili in large
numbers In more pronounced cases
| have demonstrated IL in the exuda-
tons from plantar pedis and other Ill
GERS, but never once from the serum
or scrapings from the base of bleb
produced by vesicant applied to the
most suspicious lesion found on the
body.
The method which has thus far
proven most satisfactory in my expert.
wedge shaped section from the most
suspicious lesion. To include the sub
cutaneous tissue with the skin, and
the immediate closure of the wound
with a single suture. The piece is
placed in physiological salt solution,
where it remains until convenient to
examine 1t is then placed in q small
mortar with half dozen drops OF
the salt solution and thoroughly
ground and triturated until the piece
almost disappears in an Opaque soupy
looking fluid. A small drop of this is
evenly spread on cover slip, dried.
StdlnCu Will Cdi NC
colorized in acid solution, contrast
stained with methelyne blue, dried
and mounted in balsam or damar.
have demonstrated the bacillus in
some instances where the clinical
symptoms alone would fairly have jus
titled the verdict of suspect only. In
each of the last three cases admitted
the bacillus has been demonstrated
by the above method. While 1t is not
claimed that this method can compare
with the more elaborate and tedious
| process of hardening and section cut
ting for a scientific study of the NOR
biology of the bacillus, yet for dag
nostic purposes it is at once rapid and
| efficient
In the five cases of declared pa
tients retained for experimental treat
| ment the regular use of chaulmoogrs
oil. administered hypodermically. has
been continued, with results noted
thus far only coEfirmatory Of what
has already long ago been observed
/ b yothers. namely. that in a certain
proportion of cases it seems to In
! hibit the progress of the disease. while
in others it produces no effect what
ever All the patients take it vii
lingly and cheerfully. though its ad
ministration must necessarily be some
what painful. In one instance only
patient seventy-nine years of age
an injection was followed by inflam
nation and abscess, from which, how
| ever. he made good recovery.
| We have had one case of facial cry
| sipelas of considerable severity. tn,
maximum temperature being 104.5 de
grees, but the patient made an unin
terrupted and complete recovery. Wit
the exception OF one or two cases o
influenza, the health of the inmate
has been good; in fact. the physica
condition of some of those more re
Gently admitted has improved a
shown by the healing OF plantar pedi
and other ulcers which the patient
declare hive existed several north
or even Years.
An outline of my work in conneC
ton with the recent case of playa
has already been communicated I
you in special report. March Z, an
need not be -.peated here.
| Summary-Visits to Kalihi, 1s
post mortems, %: microscopic slide
stained and mounted. 14S: culture
made, II: animals inoculated. 4.