Report of the Director-General of Public Health, New South Wales.

  • New South Wales. Department of Public Health.
Date:
[1925]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Director-General of Public Health, New South Wales. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    196/244 (page 164)
    161 Section IV. Sixteenth Report of the Microbiological Laboratory (Government Bureau of Microbiology) for the year 1925. The Principal Microbiologist to The Director-General of Public Health. Sir, I have the honour to submit for your information the accompanying report of the work performed in the Microbiological Laboratory. The steady increase in the work noted in the last annual report has continued, and I have again to record a marked increase in the number of examinations— 25,344 as against 23,990 in 1924. As in later years this increase has been largely in the serological examinations for venereal diseases, though as will be seen from the detailed figures there has been increase in other lines of work, notably in the examination of tissues and in the preparation of vaccines. Examinations for infectious diseases, on the other hand, show a decrease. Plague.—No case of plague occurred during the. year, nor were any infected animals found. The routine examinations of rats was continued, but the numbers examined show a decided decrease—12,019, as against 16,351 in 1924. Diphtheria.—There was a marked decrease in the number of swabbings submitted for examination; this was due to the fact that the disease was less prevalent than in preceding years; the number of notifications for diphtheria during the year (2,778) was the lowest recorded since 1909 (2,419). Schick tests were continued and approximately an ecpial number of children tested. Schick campaigns would be extended, but for the inability of the present staff to cope with additional work of this nature. The results of the campaigns carried out during 1925 are shown in a special report (p. 179); the towns visited during the year were Coonamble, Gulargambone, Quambone, Narrabri, Cowra and Corowa. Tuberculosis.—The examinations of sputa for the presence of tubercle bacilli (2,783) show a slight decrease on the figures for 1924 (2,881). Venereal Disease—Syphilis.—The serological tests for syphilis show a marked increase for 1925. The Wassermann reaction was carried out on 5,186 sera as against 3,684 in 1924. In addition, the use of the Kahn Flocculation Test was extended and was found to be of value both as a check on the Wassermann reaction and for detecting evidences of infection which were not revealed by the Wassermann reaction; the test was particularly valuable in ascertaining the point of cure in treated cases. Gonorrhoea.—The figures both for the examination of smears for gonococci and for the complement deviation test show slight increases. Typhoid.—As in the case of diphtheria, there was a decided decrease in the incidence of typhoid in the State in 1$25. The number of notifications dropped from 768 in 1924 to 533 in 1925. The laboratory work, however, shows a much smaller decrease (882, as against 914) owing partly to the investigation of carrier cases and partly to the extension of the practice of testing the stools of typhoid patients before discharge from hospital. A special investigation was made into the occurrence of typhoid at Broken Hill and a report of this investigation appears elsewhere (p. 41). Anthrax.—Three cases due to shaving brush infection occurred in 1925. In all instances the infected brush had been in the State for some considerable time. These cases have been made the subject of a fifth report on anthrax and shaving brushes (p. 171). Bio-chemical Work.—The bio-chemist has been fully occupied throughout the year. As in the preceding year, a large proportion of the work has been the estimation of blood sugar in cases of diabetes. This test has an important bearing on the exhibition of insulin. Pathological Tissues.—The examination of tissues for malignant disease or other pathological change continued to increase, thus there were 1,141 tissues submitted for section in 1925, as against 963 in 1924; malignant disease was diagnosed in 356 tissues. Vaccines.—The demand for autogenous vaccines from sputa, urine, pustules, &c., continued, and 865 vaccines were prepared during the year. Reports received from medical practitioners speak highly of the results achieved by the use of these preparations. Hygienic Examinations.—Fewer food samples were examined and the milk testing was not continued On the other hand, a fairly extensive series of water examinations were carried out; these were mainly done for the Public Works Department in connection with the water supplies of inland towns. The tests are being continued and will be made the subject of a report at a later date. Food Poisoning.—An extensive outbreak of food poisoning occurred in a Girls’ Home at Glebe Point in November, due to a member of the Salmonella group, which was isolated from the stools of a number of the patients. As similar outbreaks occur annually in the State, it has been thought advisable to collect together the investigations carried out into a number of these outbreaks, and they are made the subject of a special report (p. 181). Staff Changes.—Mr. Snell was appointed as a Laboratory Assistant on 1st July, 1925. Miss Durie was transferred to the office of the Medical Officer of Health, Hunter River Combined District at Newcastle in August, 1925. Miss Jessie Fort, typist, was appointed in November.