SÉANCE DU 16 NOVEMBRE 1021 



CARRIERS OF MENINGOCOCCI 



IN THE ZONE OF THE AHMIES 

 DURING THE WAR ^'^ 



by the Médecin principal de 2" classe Ch. DOPTEB 



MÉDECIN DI VISIONNAI KE 



The médical history of wars, even récent, says nothiiig on the 

 effectsof the menigococcus. Possibly, astheywere not very well known 

 until the last few years they might hâve remained in the dark. 



When the présent war broke out the doctors who had been warned 

 about cerebro-spinal meningitis were right in e^pecting for the first 

 winter or spring quite an important, if not considérable, development 

 of this épidémie infection, for it seemed that its propagg,tion should be 

 facilitated by an enormous military agglomération. What was feared 

 for other infections could be particularly apprehended for cerebro- 

 spinal meningitis. 



Gontrary to w^hat one expected this has not been the case; and now 

 that four years of war hâve gone by it canbe assumed that according to 

 knov^n figures, the meningococcic infection has been constantly one of 

 Ihose the morbidityof which has been most negligible in the zone of the 

 army. 



Thèse are the statistics which hâve been given us for the years 1913, 

 1916 and 1917 : 



In 1915. .... 1.075 cases of cerebro spinal meningitis. 



In 1916 452 cases Id. M. 



In 1917 406 cases Id. Id. 



The proportion of cases observed is very small in comparison w,ith 

 the total number of men. One should notice that during the second 



(1) Tliis report has been written at the front during a short repos without 

 any other notes than those which I had in my rnind. The reader must, 

 therefore, not be surprised at thi& insufficient bibliography. I make no pré- 

 tention of giving a Gomplete report, but bave only triedto group together my 

 impressions to give, simply a basis for discussion on this subject. 



