Abstract
THE scientific memoirs contained in this volume are of considerable interest. Drs. Klein and Houston have investigated the behaviour of pathogenic organisms when inoculated upon various farinaceous media, and conclude that the likelihood of infection of the human subject from such source is probably remote. A number of food-stuffs were similarly examined by Dr. Klein for the presence of pathogenic organisms, with the result that none was found. Dr. Gordon has continued his studies upon the bacteriology of scarlatina, and he adduces further proof that the Streptococcus scarlatinae is a species distinct from other streptococci and that it may be the causative organism of this disease. Two papers are concerned with the behaviour of micro-organisms when inoculated into the soil. In the first, Dr. Houston inoculated soil with crude sewage, and found that on the whole the soil-microbes ousted the sewage ones and that the addition of sewage to soil resulted in a temporary increase only of the sewage microbes. In the second, Dr. Sidney Martin has continued his work upon the nature of the antagonism of the soil to the typhoid bacillus; this organism survives but a short time in the soil, being destroyed by the products of the putrefactive bacteria which exist therein. Dr. Klein also reports on the infection of cockles and mussels with the typhoid and cholera microbes, and shows that these organisms may persist in the interior of the molluscs for some time after the source of infection has been removed. The importance of rats in the dissemination of plague has induced Dr. Haldane to devise an apparatus for generating carbonic oxide gas for destroying these pests in plague-infected ships. This, is described and some experiments with it are detailed. There is also an interesting report upon research work in connection with glycerinated vaccine lymph. The volume concludes with a number of well-executed photographs illustrating the various papers.
Thirteenth Annual Report of the Local Government Board, 1900–1.
Supplement containing the Report of the Medical Officer for 1900–1. (London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1902.)
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
HEWLETT, R. Thirteenth Annual Report of the Local Government Board, 1900–1. Nature 67, 5 (1902). https://doi.org/10.1038/067005a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/067005a0