[Report 1910] / Medical Officer of Health, Tynemouth County Borough.

  • Tynemouth (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1910] / Medical Officer of Health, Tynemouth County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    30/98 (page 32)
    BACTERIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. The laboratory was equipped in 1007 to assist medical practitioners in the diagnosis of cases of infectious disease. During the past year the number of specimens examined was 590, and it is gratifying to note that this is an increase of 310 specimens upon 1009. The number of specimens examined since the laboratory was opened will be seen from the following table :— Year. Diphtheria. Phthisis. Typhoid F ever. Ringworm. Miscellaneous' Total. + — + — + — T — + — 1907 3G 53 10 24 4 9 _ _ 4 1 134 1908 44 74 3 16 7 5 -- — — 2 151 1909 48 157 7 17 8 9 , 14 — 5 15 280 I 1910 80 201 24 46 4 17 169 90 Ol 7 10 *590 DIPHTHERIA.—281 swabs were examined, and of these 80 were returned as positive and 201 as negative. These were taken either from persons suspected to be suffering from diphtheria, or from contacts at home or in school. Three positive contacts in 3 different families were discovered by swabs taken from the throats of contacts at home, after patients had been removed to hospital. During the month of May, owing to the association of a few cases with tiie Priory School, all the children in the infant and junior classes were examined, and swabs taken from any throat considered suspicious. Examination of the swabs showed three positive contacts amongst the scholars, and these were immediately excluded from school, with the result that no further cases occurred. PPITHISIS.—70 specimens of sputum from persons suspected to be suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis were examined for the tubercle bacillus. The results were positive in 24 cases, while in 40 the organisms were not found. TYPHOID FEVER.—21 specimens were received for examination, and of these 4 were returned as positive and 17 negative.