M 68
(b) Syphilis. An interesting comparative study has been carried out on the recently described Ide precipitation test. One thousand sera have been tested in parallel with the Kahn; while close analysis of the results has not yet been made the following will give some idea of the results of the comparative study:
Strong positive
Positive
Doubtful
Negative
Total
Table XXXIII.
Kahn test. Ide test. 214 133 } 243 } 384 347 141 44 51 609 565 1,000 1,000The results are classified so as to conform to the League of Nations scheme of reporting. It will be seen that there is a close measure of agreement. Moreover, a cursory examination of the results shows that a good many of the discrepancies occurred in treated cases and also in cases subjected to provocative injection of arsenicals.
It is proposed to carry out a further series of parallel tests on treated cases only. The complete results of the study will be published in due course.
(c) Trichinosis. During the year an investigation was undertaken designed to measure the amount of trichinosis prevalent among the poorer type of the population of Hong Kong. Diaphragms were obtained from adult bodies at Victoria Mortuary for examination. The muscle was first finely ground in a meat grinder and then intimately mixed with a digesting mixture and placed in a water bath at 37°C. with frequent shaking.
In the resulting material was filtered through wire gauge and examined for the characteristic cysts.
A total of eighty-two diaphragms was subjected to treatment and examination. In no instance were encysted larvae of Trichinella spiralis found. I understand that a similar study was recently undertaken in a laboratory connected with a Canton University, with similar results. Freedom from this infestation is probably to be attributed to the belief held by the Southern Chinese that leprosy may result from eating uncooked pork.