The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-07
WANTS INCUBATOR
 FOR HIS BACILLI
CITY BAcTERloLoelsT REPORTS ON INSPECTION WORK IN SOME
 NORTHERN CITIES AND ON THE
 WORK OF LOCAL DEPARTMENT.

City Basteriologist and Chief Inspector E. M. Duncan has submitted to the mayor his report for the month of September as follows:
 Birmingham. October ,. 190S. Hon. George B. Ward. Mayor, City:
 Dear Sir-The following is report for the month of September. 1908:
 Meat Inspection: Total number animals inspected-Cattle 1709. hogs S54 sheep 1909. veal 454, kids 119.
 Grand total 4l45.
 Other fresh meats inspected tnot in- cluded in the above), western, 379,045 pounds.
 Total condemned and tanlxed. 3125 pounds
 In the Boston city meteorological lab- oratory they have a specially designed incubator, having a small chute leading through a permanently closed door ex- tending down into the incubator. so a eul- ture tube for test for dptheria can be deposited by the physician at any time when the laboratory is closed. The results to be obtained in this way are very val uable, both to the individual patient as well as to the public health in general. As the culture tubes containing the inocula- tion from all emergency cases of dph- theria, cases occurring after the closing hours of the laboratory and late at night, can be, brought to or sent to the lahora- tory by the physicians. deposited into the incubator at once. where they will in- cubate, so same may be tested by the bacteriologist the following morning and a report of the result made as soon as possible.
 E. recommend that we purchase and in stall such an incubator in the city labor atory immediately.
 Conradis method for making diagnosis of typhoid fever by eultvating and iden- tifying the typhoid bacillus right from the blood of patients so affected is just com ing into use in Boston. By this method it is possible to recover the typhoid bacil- Jus from the blood and make a diagnosis of typhoid in the first week of the on- set of the disease, while by other methods it is not, as a general rule. that we can get a correct diagnosis of typhoid before the ninth to tenth day. and Frequently not until the second week of the disease. Hence it is very easy to see how bene- ficial an earlier diagnosis will be to each
 
 put into practice in this department as soon as some of the outfits for the work can be prepared.
 I have established q culture station at Letaws drug store. city hall building Physicians can get blood serum tubes and sterile swahs for taking cultures for diphtheria tests by making application at this drug store. These outfits are to be used in emergency eases after the closing hours of the laboratory.
 Diaries Inspected.
 L. T. Cobb-Conditions fairly acceptable, but some improvements to be made
 A. V. Loveiess-C Conditions somewhat improved since last inspection.
 T. F.. Piclle--New location. new dairy buildings. conditions fairly acceptable. While in Boston l visited some of the big milk dispensing establishments of that city. These establishments have every facility for handling milk in sanitary manner. Much of the milk reaches the city in carload lots. in refrigerator cars. This milk reaches the city below 50 de- grees Fahrenheit, and is at once placed in the proper size receptacles and is packed in ice until ready for delivery to the re- tail trade Much of this milk leaves the plants below 3S degrees Fahrenheit and reaches the customers in excellent cond- tion. One of these concerns dispenses more than 10000 gallons of sweet milk alone daily, Some of these establish ments prepare large quantities of pas teurized, modified milk. which is dispensed approximately at cost to infants and chil- dren of the poorer classes.
 Some of these plants have well equipped chemical and meteorological laboratories with competent men in charge to test the quality of the milk before it leaves the plant. to aid the municipal authorities in their efforts to give the consumers good milk. Respectfully submitted.
 F. NJ. DUNCAN,
 Bacteriofogist and Chief Inspector.