Report on the public health / Southern Rhodesia.

  • Southern Rhodesia. Department of Health.
Date:
[1935]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the public health / Southern Rhodesia. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    33/42 (page 29)
    (b) Report of the Director, Bulawayo Bacteriological Institute. Dr. G. R. Ross reports as follows :— The number of specimens examined during the year was 2,725, an increase of 313 over the number for the previous year of 2,412. These investigations were of a routine nature only and the distribution among the contributing authorities was as follows: Government, 1,382; Railways, 324; Municipality, 51; Private, 968. A few of the commoner examinations asked for may be summarised. Malarial parasites were found in 41 of 253 slides examined for that purpose. The dominant plasmodium continues to be P. falciparum, P. vivax being demon¬ strated in one slide only. Of other blood parasites, Sp. Duttonni was found on four occasions, all in native patients. Attention has been drawn to the occurrence of this parasite in the last three reports from this Institute. At present the disease appears to be endemic without any tendency to assume epidemic propor¬ tions, due almost certainly to the fact that the vector is a tick of the Ornithodorus group. Thirty-five blood cultures were made, and B. typhosus was isolated in four instances. The Grunbaum-Widal reaction was positive in 32 instances out of 93 tests made. The Wassermann reaction was made on 751 specimens of blood or cerebro-spinal fluid; of these 189 were positive, 72 were doubtful or partial and 490 were negative. In addition the Kahn test was done at the same time on 177 of these specimens; 45 gave a positive result, 13 were doubtful and 119 negative. One hundred and ninety-two sputa were examined for the presence of M. tuberculosis and of these 36 were positive. C. diphtheriae was found in 16 of 126 swabs examined. Ova of S', haematobium were found in 33 instances, the infection as in previous years being commonest in European juveniles. B. anthracis was found in four cases of cutaneous anthrax in natives. It is interest¬ ing that the discovery of one case was instrumental in drawing attention to the existence of the disease in the herd of cattle with which he was associated. Of 81 urethral or cervical smears examined 29 were positive for gonococci, and this organism was also demonstrated in two smears from the conjunctiva. In two cases of purulent vaginal discharge which were negative for gonococci further examination showed the presence of Trichomonas vaginalis. An interest¬ ing case of myiasis occurred in an infant three days old in which larvae were found in the ear and stump of the umbilical cord. These have been provisionally identified as Lucilia cuprina, but the larvae have been sent to England for final identification. Biochemical investigations have been as follows : Blood sugar estimations, 21; sugar tolerance tests, 2; non-protein nitrogen or urea estimations, 5; test meals. 5. (c) Report of the Government Analyst, Salisbury. Mr. A. W. Facer, B.A., F.I.C., Government Analyst, reports that 501 samples and exhibits were dealt with as follows Exhibits in connection with Criminal Investigations— Exhibits for presence of poisons... 103 Exhibits for presence of blood stains. 42 Exhibits for presence of seminal stains . 31 Miscellaneous forensic exhibits. 30 Samples of Water— General analysis for human consumption. River water for traces of arsenic. For boiler purposes. Distilled water (suitability for batteries) . For suitability for fish culture. Mineral and thermal springs . From school swimming bath . In connection with cases of typhoid . For general toxicological examination. Cow’s milk . Human milk .— ..- -. 33 1 1 2 1 4 1 6 1 119 7 6