Seasonal Incidence of Hemolytic Streptococcus in the Nose and Throat

A series of severe hemolytic streptococcus operative wound infections in clean cases in the Presbyterian Hospital two years ago led to an investigation of the possible sources of the organism in question. The result of this investigation has been reported. 1 In the course of this study, it was demonstrated by reciprocal agglutination and reciprocal absorption of agglutinin tests that a culture taken from one of these infected wounds yielded a hemolytic streptococcus identical with an organism obtained from a culture taken of the nose of the instrument nurse who assisted at the operation. The two cultures were of such a rare type of hemolytic streptococcus that there can be little question that they were one and the same strain and that the wound had been contaminated from that source. Cultures taken from the throats of all the members of the operating force at that time revealed the surprising fact