Volume 56 · Issue 01 · 1939

After the astonishing therapeutic results obtained with the fanilamide, especially in the treatment of streptococcus and meningo-coccus infections, a new field has been opened by a sulfanilamide derivative, i.e. 2-sulfanilamido-pyridine or sulfapyridine.

Our earlier researches on typhus, from epidemiological and experimental view points, have been published in preceding papers (1, 2 and 3). In the following pages, we have collected and completed our notes in the local typhus epidemic and the results of nine months of research.

Following upon the work of Felix and Pitt (1934) a new antityphoid serum was prepared at the Lister Institute and its potency demonstrated in experiments on mice. They showed that antityphoid sera containing "O" and "Vi" antibodies exert two separate and distinct effects. The "O" antibody is chiefly antitoxic and the "Vi" antibody is mainly bactericidal.

Adler and Theodor (1932 and 1935) and AdIer (1936) have recently brought forth evidence to show that, in the countries situated along the Mediterranean basin, dogs serve as reservoir hosts for human kala-azar, and that the sandfly, P. perniciosus, is the transmitter. Adler, Theodor and Witenberg (1938) have also shown that in Canea (Crete), P. major is the main carrier of both canine and human visceral leish maniasis. In China, the development of Leishmania of human kala-azar has been observed in P. sergenti var. mongolensis and P. chinensis by Young and Hertig (1926), Patton and Hindle (1927), Hindle (1928), and Wu and Sun (1938). The development of canine Leish-mania in sandflies, however, has never been studied in this country. In view of the prevalence of dog leishmaniasisin Peiping as reported by Feng, Chung and Hoeppli (1939), a study of the development of canine Leishmania in local sandfIies appears to be interesting as well as important from the standpoint of the epidemiology of leishmaniasis in general.

In 1926, Shortt, Barraud, and Craighead (1) reported their finding of flagellates indistinguishable from those of Leishmania donovani in the mid-gut of a sandfiy, P. argentipes, which they caught in a kala-azar house in Assam. In 1936, Sun, Yao, Chu and Wu (2) observed similar flagellates in the mid-gut of 7 out of 421 (1.66%) sandflies, P. chinensis, caught in three kala-azar houses in Tsing-kiang-p'u, North Kiangsu, China. Neither of these two reports mentioned the presence or absence of dogs naturally-infected with leishmaniasis in or around the premises where the sandflies were captured. In view of the growing suspicion that dog may be the reservoir host of human kala-azar, as is believed to be the case in countries situated along the Mediter- ranean basin, the occurrence of natural infection with leishmania flagellates of sandflies caught in a house or kennel with a dog suffer ing from kala-azar is not only of academic interest, but may also be of practicalimportance. Adler and Theodor (3) found that 4 out of 150 (or 2.67% ) sandflies, P. perniciosus, caught in the municipal dog house in Malta in 1935, were naturally infected with flagellates of L. infantum.

Chinese literature on medical entomology may be said to date from 1828, when Wiedmann described a number of new species of mosquitoes found in Canton and Foochow. Manson's discovery of filaria transmission by means of household mosquito, Culex fatigans, in 1878 marked a note-worthy epoch, but from this period up till quite recently very little fresh information was added. Systematic entomological surveys of the mosquito fauna of China have been chiefly confined to the coastal provinces or in the vicinity of scientific institutes situated in Peiping, Tsinan, Shanghai, Hangchow, Foochow, Amoy, Hongkong, and Canton.

Historical records and reports of the recent investigations by the National Health Administration of Yunnan province, has established the fact that the socalled Chang-chi(瘴气) is subtertian malaria which has been in existence since ancient times. It has destroyed many lives,depopulated many areas and hampered the development of the Province. For lack of funds, the Provincial Government has not been able to do more than to establish six small health stations in the malarious regions.

The occurrence of jaundice and hepatitis following yellow fever immunization has already been reported by Findlay and MacCallum (1, 2). Recently Findlay et aZ (3) presented evidences to show that the hepatitis was not due to the yellow fever virus itself, but the result of extraneous virus infection. One of the strong evidences in favor of the latter is the fact that injection of the vaccine can produce hepatitis in persons who were already immune to yellow fever as a result of naturaUy acquired infection. To show the manner in which contamination might be introduced the following brief description of the method of vaccine preparation is given.

This paper represents an attempt to set forth from a statistical standpoint tuberculosis as seen in a general hospital. We hope there by to emphasize the need of a more serious attempt on the part of general hospitals to cope with the problems of prevention and treatment. Ideally,tuberculosis should be treated by experts in sanatoria. Until this time comes, we and other hospitals must do most of the work.