The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-05-10
M DONALD
ON Lt:PROSY
BacterioIogist OF
Health Board
Reports.

The report Of Dr. J. r. Mcdonald
bacterioIuglst Of the Board OF Health
covering the months OF March un.
April which was read at yesterday.
board meeting, Is as follows:
I Honolulu. r. H., May J., 1901
J. H. Raymond. MD, President Board
/ Of Health. Territory OF Hawaii
Sir: | beg leave to submit my report
upon the archaeological work Of the de-
partmeut for the months Of March and
April.
Kaihl Receiving Station.-As it T. now
generally believed 10y the most competent
authorities the world over that the sine
qua non of leprosy Is the presence OF a
specific bacterlum, the Bacillus Leprae,
II seems to me that too much stress can
not he placed upon the Importance of
efforts to demonstrate It's presence in all
cases admitted to the stat and partic-
ularly in nose classed as suspects in
whom the clinical symptoms Of the dis
case are not fully and satisfactorily de-
veloped.
| After repeated efforts, with negative
results, | have come to dscredit the
statement OF Ball of Philadelphia, and
other authors who claim that the serum
from a vosicant applied to n skin lesion
shows the bacilli in large numbers In
more pronounced cases | have demon
pedis and other ulcers, but never once
from the serum or scrapings from the
base of bleb produced by a vesicant ap-
piled to the most suspicious lesion to be
found on the body.
The method which has thus far proved
most satisfactory in my experience has
been the excision OF a small wedge-shap-
ed section from the most suspicious lesion
to include the subcutaneous tissue with
the skin and bn m ta pl nf
the wound with a single suture. The
piece Is placed in physiological salt So
luton, where ii remains until convenient
to examine. 1t Is then placed In a small
mortar with half dozen drops of the
salt solution and thoroughly ground and
triturated until the piece almost disap-
pears in an opaque soupy-looking fluid.
A small drop of this Is evenly spread on
a cover slip, dried, fixed, stained with
carbol-fuchsin, decolorized in acid solu-
ton, contrast stained with methelyne
blue dried and mounted in balsam or da-
mar. | have demonstrated the bacL4us
in some instances where the clinical
symptoms alone would fairly have justi-
fled the verdict of suspect only. In each
of the last three cases admitted the ba-
cillus 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 cutting for a scien-
tiiic study of the morphology of the ba-
cillus yet for diagnostic purposes alone
it is at once rapid and efficient.
In the five cases of declared patients,
retained for experimental treatment. the
regular use of chaulmoogra Oil, admin
istered hypodermically, has been contin-
ued. with results noted thus far only
confirmatory of what has already long
ago been observed by others. namely.
that in certain proportion Of cases. 1t
seems to inhibit the progress OF the dis
ease. while in others 1t produces no ef-
feet whatever. All the patients take it
willingly and cheerfuly, although its ad-
ministration must necessarily be some
what painful. In one instance only, a
patient 79 years of age, an injection was
followed by Inflammation and abcess
from which, however. he made a good
recovery.
We have had one case Of facial erysip-
elias of considerable severity, the maxi
mum temperature being l04.5 degrees, but
the patient made an uninterrupted and
complete recovery. With the exception
of one or two cases of influenza, the
health of the inmates has been good; In
fact, the physical condition OF some of
those more recently admitted has i'm
proved, as shown by the healing OF plan
tar pedis and other ulcers which the pa
tents declare have existed several
months or even years.
Bubonc Plague.-An outline OF my
work in connection with the recent case
of plague has already been communicat-
ed to you In a special report March -,
and need not be repeated here.
Summary-Visits to Kalih 10; post
%: microscopic slides stained
and mounted, li3; cultures made. IL ami
mails inoculated, l.
Respectfully submitted.
]. T. hDONALD.