Two hundred and fifty clinical strains of Candida albicans and six isolates from a cross-infection outbreak were studied for their ability to assimilate 19 carbohydrates in the API-20C system (API Laboratory Products Ltd., Basingstoke, UK). The assimilation profiles were stable on repeat testing; at intervals in the 72 h duration of the test; and when incubated at different temperatures.

Although not a complete system of biotyping, the API-20C system shows high typability, and fair reproducibility and discrimination, having a limited role in indicating which isolates should be typed by more elaborate methods.

The report investigates the variation in results noticed when testing iodophor disinfectants in the presence of a 5% (w/v) yeast suspension.

It was found that these variations were not related to individual iodophor formulations but bore a direct relationship with the storage time of the prepared yeast suspension.

Although multiple cases of acute rheumatism have been observed to follow waves of streptococcal infection in institutions (see Green, p. 369) there is doubt as to whether acuter heumatism itself becomes epidemic under such circumstances or whether the element of infectivity lies in the preliminary throat infection as concluded by Sheldon (1931).

A method for the estimation of chloramphenicol in faeces and bile is described. It has been shown that the bile contains high concentrations of the antibiotic, but the faeces small amounts. It is considered that the faecal concentration is dependent on the biliary supply.

The action of chloramphenicol on the gut flora is described and the dominance of yeasts on complete suppression of the conforms is reported, drawing attention to the possibility of intestinal moniliasis following unrestricted use of the antibiotic.

An explanation of ‘relapses’ in the chloramphenicol treatment of typhoid fever is given, and the possible effect of chloramphenicol on immunity response is discussed.

Space-time interaction analysis was applied to data from 101 elementary school children who contracted variola minor during an epidemic in Bragança Paulista County, Brazil. One school had two and the other three shifts of students occupying the same classrooms each day. There was no evidence found for excessive numbers of cases to occur among unvaccinated students occupying the same desks or seated near the desks occupied by cases occurring during another shift. Only three cases occurred among the 31 unvaccinated students occupying desks of students with variola from other shifts. Only one of these three subsequent cases occurred at a time interval suggestive of transmission. For the three models tested there was no evidence of space-time interaction between time of onset of the disease and location of desk for pairs of students from different shifts.

In toxoplasma-antibody titrations with the dye-test the tolerances of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii are approximately normally distributed on the logarithm of the serum dilution. Log LD 50 (the logarithm of the titre), the variance of the tolerance distribution and the variances of the sample distributions were estimated by probit analysis of data obtained with titrations of a serum which contained the antibody. An empirical expression was derived relating the fraction of parasites attacked by the antibody to the time of incubation with the antibody. Approximately the same values for the titre and the variance of the distribution were obtained for every incubation period between 20 min. and 4 hr.

The author is indebted to Mr J. C. A. Zaat and to Dr E. F. Drion of the Statistical Division of the Central Organization TNO for helpful discussions and assistance with the statistical calculations. The technical assistance of Miss A. K. Fast is gratefully acknowledged.

Hepatitis A is an acute inflammation of the liver caused by a virus (HAV) whose morphology and physical characteristics resemble members of the enterovirus group. The disease, which is characterized by fever, malaise, anorexia, nausea, abdominal discomfort and jaundice has an average incubation period of 28–30 days and is spread from person to person by the faecal-oral route. Common-vehicle outbreaks have been reported following contamination of food or water and epidemics may occur in closed communities (institutions, day-care centres) or in the general community when there is a breakdown of environmental sanitation. Many infections, especially in children, are subclinical; the case fatility rate for patients requiring hospitalization is low and long-term sequelae are unknown.

1. An attempt has been made to ascertain by physiological observations on school children whether the radiant heat from a heating installation comprising electric panels suspended from the ceilings and walls of the classrooms, in a semi open-air school, was sufficient to impart adequate warmth to children while performing the ordinary curriculum of an elementary school.

2. During identical cold weather conditions, observations were made on children in two schools in the same area, the one heated by electric ceiling and wall panels and the other, the control school, heated by hot-water radiators and pipes.

3. The children in classrooms heated by radiant heat from electric ceiling and wall panels were found to be attempting to perform ordinary elementary school work under conditions of chilling incompatible with comfort and efficiency, and without such compensating factors as frequent exercise and controlled nutrition, neither of which are possible in such a school.

4. The observations made on the children in the semi open-air electric-panel heated school, the air temperatures and cooling powers encountered in the classrooms, and the control observations made in the hot-water heated school under similar weather conditions prove that the radiant heat emitted from the electric ceiling and wall panels was insufficient to impart adequate warmth to the children, and that the heating system as at present installed and controlled, is unable adequately to cope with such cold conditions as are commonly met with during the winter months of the year.

(1) These experiments prove that the fumigator is safer to use than the dumping fixture, because high concentrations of the poison gas are avoided, so that dangerous pockets are not developed.

(2) The poison gas is more evenly distributed over the different parts of the section of the ship under treatment.

(3) High concentrations, however, can be developed^ at will in any part which requires special attention.

(4) The maximum concentrations of the poison gas were obtained in every part of the section in a shorter time, when the fumigator was used, than when the dumping fixture was employed.

(5) The artificial ventilation caused by the fan, which is capable of blowing into the section 500 to 1000 cubic feet of fresh air per minute, according to the speed of the motor, materially assists the rapid clearing of the poison gas from the ship, after it has accomplished its work. It is thus possible to complete the fumigation and ventilation of a ship in 3 hours using the cyanide fumigator, while more than 4 hours are required for the dumping fixture.

(6) Even more important is the fact that smaller quantities of cyanide can be used with greater efficiency in the fumigator, than larger quantities, with less efficiency in the dumping fixture.

(7) The general conclusion is arrived at, that, from the point of view of efficiency, safety and economy, the fumigator is superior to the dumping fixture. Creel has shown that, in respect to the time required for completing the fumigation, and in respect to the thoroughness of the process, both in killing rats and insects, the dumping fixture is superior to the Clayton gas machine. It follows, therefore, that the cyanide fumigator is very much superior in these respects to the Clayton gas machine.

1. A clinical and biochemical study of a group of thirty patients from northern Portugal shows that they were suffering from a mild form of pellagra with no signs of severe malnutrition or of associated deficiencies except dental abrasion caries and pyorrhoea.

2. The diet of these patients in most respects was chemically satisfactory. Apart from a very low consumption of animal protein the gross intake of calories, total protein minerals and vitamins, including nicotinic acid, was satisfactory.

3. Since the syndrome was completely cured by nicotinic acid, it is suggested that the main characteristic of a diet on which pellagra is likely to develop is not a shortage of nicotinic acid, but a lack of high-grade protein.

4. A maize diet, satisfactory so far as calories and total protein are concerned, may produce pellagra because maize proteins are short of certain essential amino-acids. Other cereal diets may also produce pellagra if the general level of nutrition is very low.

5. The syndrome may be cured either by very large doses of nicotinic acid without change of diet or by moderate doses accompanied by abundant animal protein.

A new form of photo-electric photometer or colorimeter is described which permits of accurate and objective readings in a wide range of colorimetric work with small quantities of solutions. The instrument is of the null-point type and hence requires calibration to suit the particular estimation.

The writer is indebted to the Earl of Moray Fund of the University of Edinburgh for financial assistance towards the expenses of the earlier part of the work.

The original model was made by A. H. Baird of Edinburgh, the model described above by Wm. Watson and Sons, London, to whom, and to Mr W. E. Watson-Baker, I am indebted for suggestions on a number of points.

The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which selective under-coverage of births to mothers more likely to be at risk of HIV-1 infection will result in a significant underestimation of the true neonatal seroprevalence. Census data, local birth statisties, maternity data and data from the prevalence monitoring programme were used to produce a model to predict the effects of under-coverage in the uptake of neonatal metabolic screening which has been observed in babies with a mother of ethnic group black African. The adjustment factor which allows for under-coverage is the relative inclusion ratio (RIR); the probability that samples from a group at different risk of HIV infection were included in the survey divided by the probability of inclusion for samples from all other babies. The RIR was found to be close to unity (0·97), indicating a minimal bias. Under usual conditions only if the relative inclusion ratio (RIR) declined to values of 0·87 or below would there be a substantial bias. Despite some selective under representation, the results obtained from the Unlinked Anonymous HIV Monitoring Programme Dried Blood Spot Survey would seem to identity levels of prevalence in the population of child-bearing women with a good degree of accuracy and remains a useful tool for resource allocation, planning of services, provision of care and counselling.

In the first report (vol. vi. p. 450) we described several series of experiments which had as their object the determination of the relative importance of the Indian rat flea, Palex cheopis, and of actual close contact in the absence of fleas in the dissemination of plague from animal to animal. These observations were carried out in a series of small godowns or cabins, which were built especially for the purpose. The experiments which we have now to put on record are a continuation of those already published. They were carried out during the non-plague season of 1906 and the plague season of 1907.

A survey of both the prevailing and the desirable conditions for housing small laboratory animals, with particular reference to rats and mice, is described. The data surveyed are confined to laboratories in Great Britain and include requirements of space, heating, ventilation and building construction, with such accessories as cages, feeding devices and other equipment.

In an attempt to determine the frequency of virus infections of the gastrointestinal tract, the duration of virus shedding in faeces and its relation to outbreaks of illness of any kind, faecal samples were collected from children attending a day nursery at a Lisbon institution.

In this study, ten children were surveyed from their enrolment at the nursery, weekly specimens of faeces being collected over a period of 1 year. A total of 459 samples were obtained. In addition four of these children were also followed-up from their first week of life to their enrolment at the nursery, 79 samples being collected during this period.

Viruses were detected in a high percentage (44·4%) of these stools, including strains of oral vaccine polioviruses together with viruses isolated in routine cell cultures and by electron microscopy (EM). These viruses were detected in both healthy and ill babies.

The possible association between viruses isolated in cell cultures or detected by EM and illness was examined and the results show that the asymptomatic excretion of viruses is frequent, particularly in children within this age group.

A subclinical infection of Salmonella typhimurium in a broiler flock was investigated and attempts were made to eradicate the infection by treatment with furazolidone. One-quarter of the chickens were still infected after they had been through the processing plant. Washing in heavily chlorinated water reduced the number of contaminated carcasses. Infected chickens were also found in four other companion flocks on the same farm.

Pus from a lumbar abscess in a boy, aged 10 years, produced severe general tuberculosis in a guinea-pig. A culture from this guinea-pig resembled a bovine strain in primary culture on egg and a eugonic human strain in subculture on glycerine egg and glycerinated potato. The virulence of the strain was high for the guinea-pig and irregular for the rabbit. For some rabbits the pathogenic effects of the strain were much more severe than those of typical human bacilli and approached, but did not equal, those of bovine bacilli. The results in other rabbits were similar to those of eugonic human bacilli. Cultures recovered from the rabbits resembled in characters the original strain, which was therefore not a mixture of the human and bovine types of tubercle bacilli. The strain cannot be described as ‘human’ or ‘bovine’ according to the usually accepted distinction between these types in the rabbit, but according to the results in the vole could be classified as belonging to the human type.