Report of the Committee of Management and Medical Director : 1945 / Papworth Village Settlement.

Papworth Village Settlement (Cambridge, England)

Date:: 1945

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Committee of Management and Medical Director : 1945 / Papworth Village Settlement. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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tissue cells being loaded with viruient bacilii, no anatomical lesions were observed. There was also no indication that the viability of either virulent or non-virulent bacilli was affected by their stay in tissue cells. The viability was tested by drying the cultures and inverting the coverslipson Loewenstein plates (a method described in previous Reports for the demonstration of Tb. in sputum smears). Active growth was observed after three days’ incubation at 370C. with micro - colonies growing from cells. These observations do not support the general view that tubercle bacilli undergo “ intracellular digestion.” No tissue culture could ever rid itself from the infection. A paper on this subject is awaiting publication. II. ASSESSMENT OF WORKING CAPACITY Since 1934, research was carried out at Papworth, supported by an expenses grant of the Medical Research Council, into the possi¬ bility of developing a method of assessing the working capacity of tuberculous patients. A special technique has been worked out, the principles of which have been described in Research Bulletin, 1938. In 1943 it was decided to incorporate the scheme into the routine of the Institution. From 1943 to September, 1945, 500 patients underwent the ‘‘examination for rehabili¬ tation ” according to a standardized technique, including functional and ergometric tests. A report was issued in each case. During the last year the test results of the 500 cases were analysed and the assessment compared with the actual work tolerance. From this re¬ search a system of standards has emerged which can be used as a guide for scientific placement of patients in sheltered industry. The final results are now being compiled and will be described in a separate publication. I should like to express my gratitude to Dr. Honor B. Fell (Director of Strangeways Research Laboratory, Cambridge) and Prof. H. R. Dean (Department of Pathology, Cam¬ bridge) for their co-operation and hospitality in putting at my disposal facilities for the carrying out of part of my research work. THE SIMS WOODHEAD MEMORIAL LABORATORY D. Barron Cruickshank, L.R.C.P. & S. (Edin.), L.D.S. (Edin.), D.P.H. (Camb.) It is very pleasing to report that the extensions to the Laboratory have now been completed. The following will give some idea of the accommodation : Research Labora¬ tory and Office for the Medical Officer in Charge ; Room for typist and Assistant Librarian ; Section for the examination of Sputum, giving facilities for direct smear cultures and slide cultures ; Dark Room AnnexeforF/uorescence-yVl/croscopy of sputum ; Facilities for Inoculation Tests and Typing of bacilli ; Department for General Bacteriology, Haematology, Serology and Section Work ; a Room for the Preparation of Media and the Sterilizing of apparatus ; a Biochemical Re¬ search Laboratory and a Chemical Store ; Front Vestibule fitted as Balance Room ; Rear Vestibule equipped with large Refrigerator and Shaking Machine. There is also a Dark Room for Photography, Microphotography and Photo¬ stats, a Cloak Room and a Telephone Kiosk. The extension is situated at the rear of the original building, the internal arrangements of which have been modified in order to weld the whole into one single unit. The building, decorating and equipping has taken about two years. The extra accommodation and im¬ proved working facilities have long been required, and we may now consider that we are reasonably in balance with the general developments which have taken place in the Settlement as a whole. The reporting, or diagnostic, service is an essential function of a Laboratory forming part of a Hospital and Sanatorium Unit, and a summary of the diagnostic investigations carried out during the year will be found in the accompanying Tables. Much of the routine material is invaluable for research purposes, e.g., in the case of sputum, we are particularly interested in the transition point at which a smear becomes microscopically negative and yet still remains positive on culture ; also in the factors leading to delayed positives, that is, cultures which become positive only after 9, 12 or 15 weeks’ incubation. Several other aspects of sputum technique are under careful review. We have also installed a Fluorescence Microscope : the technique of this interesting method has been considerably improved since it was first intro¬ duced, and we are exploring its advantages as applied to our own diagnostic routine. These appear to be very considerable. We are interested in the factors governing Haematuria following Transfusion at Thora¬ coplasty, and have also worked out an improved method of estimating Histidine excretion in urine. [9]