M 126
The percentage proportion of the different types of parasite was found to be as follows:
Malignant tertian
Benign tertian
Quartan
Unclassified
57.81%
24.39%
5.52%
12.26%
These percentages are closely coincident with those of last year, although the latter were based on a rather small series of cases.
EXAMINATION OF BLOOD FILMS FOR MALARIA.
PARASITES. EUROPEAN. INDIAN. CHINESE. TOTAL. Malignant Tertian. 40 11 378 429 Benign Tertian 19 7 155 181 Quartan 1 1 39 41 Unclassified 14 7 70 91 Negative 320 58 870 1,248 Grand Total 394 84 1,512 1,990(2) Filaria. Fourteen films were examined for the particular presence of filaria, but as a matter of fact all blood films sent in for examination for the presence of malarial parasites are routinely searched for filaria as well.
(3) Faeces.—Seven hundred and forty-five specimens of faeces were examined for the presence of the ova of helminths, and for vegetative and encysted forms of protozoa. It may be pointed out that all samples of stools received for any examination are routinely searched for such parasites.
A large percentage of faecal specimens are sent in for the exclusion or diagnosis of dysentery, and the routine pursued is to report to the sender immediately the cytological picture presented. This gives the clinical attendant valuable information for the purposes of treatment without delay, while the time-consuming culture is carried out at leisure and reported on when complete. The value of this is not to be questioned, as the finding of macrophages and pus cells in a stool is to all intents and purposes pathognomonic of bacillary dysentery. Even in spite of the fact that most of the stools received by this laboratory are not fresh, the percentage of positive cultures grown from such cytologically typical stools is as high as 46%.