A total of 5569 specimens were received (as against 7,349 last month fand 5208 in September, 1937) which Inecessitated 7,796 separate examinations being made.
'The principal acute infectious fevers seen in Shanghai which depend in the main on the Laboratory' for thei diagnosis can be divided into three groups, the bowel diseases typhoid para-typhoid, cholera and the dysen-eries; diphtheria and meningitis where the throat is the primary si jot the disease and "droplet infection the method of dissemination; and lastly typhus, relapsing fever' and malaria Which are carried to man by The incidence of the first group has shown a downward tendency with the Passing of the hot weather most marked in the case of typhoid and cholera with 48 and 722 proved cases against a maximum case rate off 80 in June and 1,106 in July respectively.
The dysenteries have remained relatively constant; being spread bby Mes infecting food, the increased number of these pests in the early Autumn tends to delay the fall in the incidence of this disease until later in the year than is the case with either cholera or tygpoid.
The second group tend to be more prevalent in the inter months. Diphtheria shows trend already, 170 cases being diagnosed this. month jas against the minimum of 70 in August. The prevalence of meningitis} has remained constant at a low level.
Relapsing fever reached maximum in June, no cases were found this month: "The other lousefvorne disease, typhus, had a July maximum of 401 and only five cases this month. Malaria, "never very' prevalent, showed 27 cases in July and 18 cases' in both August and this Fire Brigade Report for Sept.
The Chief Officer reports During the month 78 calls were received, These are classified as:—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.