CORPORATION BACTERIOLOGIST'S INVESTIGATIONS 81 
(4) Sewage Investigations. The importance of bacteria in the treatment and 
disposal of sewage matter has occupied much attention recently. A large proportion 
of the work of the Royal Commission on Sewage Disposal is done at the Thompson 
Yates Laboratories, and the Health Committee authorized a very large number of 
experiments to be carried out at the Sewage Farms at West Derby. These 
investigations have been very useful. The effluents from the Sewage Farm drains have 
been carefully examined from time to time, and have shown a very good average 
purification. Experimental filter beds were constructed out of various materials, and 
have now been at work many months. The effluents yielded by some of the beds 
have been very good, showing a considerable amount of purification. 
(5) Plague Investigations. During the summer, rats taken from ships in which 
plague had occurred were carefully investigated for the presence of the plague bacillus. 
They proved to be free. Two cases of Bubo, also from suspected ships, were examined 
for the presence of the plague bacillus, but careful bacteriological examination of the 
glands clearly demonstrated that the swelling was not due to this cause. The 
bacteriological diagnosis in these cases proved of the greatest importance in demon- 
strating the nature of the diseases suspected to be plague. The Assistant Corporation 
Bacteriologist (Dr. Balfour Stewart) has published during the year several papers 
dealing with his researches upon plague. 
(6) Fish Poisoning. A bacteriological investigation into the cases of fish 
poisoning resulted in the discovery of organisms kindred to those found in the 
putrefying contents of infants' feeding bottles. It is very difficult to say whether 
the organisms alone are capable of producing the irritant symptoms, or whether these 
are due to some product resulting from the growth of the bacilli. Be it as it may, 
in either case the importance of absolute cleanliness is emphasized by the investigation. 
Rabies 
During the year there have been no cases of Rabies, but eight cases of suspected 
Rabies, mostly reported by the police, have been carefully investigated ; in none of the 
cases could the presence of that disease be ascertained. 
The Medical Officer has arranged with the Board of Agriculture that in cases 
of suspected Rabies the inoculation test shall be made by the Corporation Bacteriologists, 
which obviates the necessity for sending parts of the bodies of dogs suspected of 
having that disease to London. 
The Bacteriological Diagnosis of cases of Typhoid and Diphtheria 
The total number of diagnostic examinations made for the City hospitals was 
201. It is of the greatest importance to be able to state whether the organism which 
causes Diphtheria is present in the throat or not. With regard to the bacteriological 
diagnosis of Typhoid Fever, evidence is accumulating of the value of the test. 
