HEALTH

NEW HAVEN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Vol. XLIV, No. 1	January, 1919

This article excerpted from p. 2 of the issue.

The year 1918 was a memorable one for New Haven in many ways. The last of the "war years" held one more terror for humanity, that of the epidemic of influenza which scourged the entire world and the ravages of which have not yet ceased. Though New Haven, in common with other cities, was hard hit, the efficient work of the Health Department made it possible to ensure the rapid subsidence of the epidemic here and after-measures which are still in force have helped to prevent further epidemics of other diseases which might well have followed in its train.

The laboratory received its share of the increased responsibilities due to the outbreak, though but ill equipped to deal with so large a piece of work.

Looking back through the records of former years we find that at no time in the past has the census of the laboratory shown so rapid an advance as in the last three months of 1918.

The census of the first seven months of the year totaled 3967. For the next two months 935 examinations were made and for the last three months of the year, 4493, nearly as many as were made for the entire year in 1917 when the total number of examinations was 6168. Of the total number of examinations for the year 1918 (9395), 6724 were for, bacterial diagnosis and 2671 for milk. In 1917, 2726 bacterial diagnoses were made and 3442 samples of milk were examined. During October, 1918, no examinations of milk were made since the milk inspector was detailed to work in connection with the epidemic. During part of August and part of September no examinations were made at the City Laboratory which was undergoing much needed cleaning and repairs. Through the kindness of Dr. Bartlett, arrangements were made to have the work done at the State Laboratory on Huntington Street.

As in most public health laboratories, by far the largest part of the diagnostic work centers about the examinations for diphtheria. We are, here in New Haven, still confined to examinations by smear for this work, though, with the proper equipment and staff, virulence and other tests might be made on carrier cases and such cases, when of long duration, might be closed, as was done recently with two thorough virulence tests made at the State Laboratory.

The Municipal Venereal Clinic is responsible for a marked increase in the number of examinations for gonorrhoea. Of the total of 106 of these examinations, 99 were made in November and December. There was a slight increase in the number of specimens of sputum examined for the tubercle bacillus, 513 as against 495 in 1917; and a decided drop in the number of blood specimens examined for typhoid agglutinins, but 138 examinations having been made in 1918 as against 234 in 1917.

Although a very large number of examinations have always been made of the city's milk supply we feel that these examinations will be much more satisfactory when supplemented by the introduction of standard methods for the estimation of the living bacteria in the milk. An assistant technician is needed, as well as larger quarters and proper equipment, before we can institute these changes. The ordinary diagnostic work of the laboratory has increased so rapidly that it has been impossible to introduce the Wasserman test as we had hoped to do until a larger appropriation is secured.

The helpful criticism and aid received from the Commissioners and Dr. Wright has been much appreciated by the laboratory staff. We feel that the future of the laboratory is now assured and that with the interest which has been manifested by the physicians of the city as well as by those more intimately connected with the laboratory, there will be no end to its usefulness which we hope will grow year by year.

ANNA T. VAN SAUN,
City Bacteriologist.