Abstract
Summary Investigation of the existence of pneumococcal types, conducted according to Cooper's scheme, in a number of cases of lobar pneumonia from the Central Government Hospital at Batavia is reported. In 195 out of 255 cases of lobar pneumonia, pneumococci could be typed from the sputum. The types 1, 2, 5, 7, 8 and 25 occurred respectively in 33.8 per cent, 8.2 per cent, 7.7 per cent, 5.6 per cent, 5.1 per cent and 2.6 per cent of cases. The absence of type 3 and the high percentage (20.0 per cent) of nonclassifiable strains was striking. A number of strains of pneumococci, isolated from pleural or spinal fluids obtained from the children's clinic, were also typed. Here types 1, 5, 6 and 14 dominated, while the nonclassifiable strains were also frequently observed. An attempt to trace the correlation of type and symptoms yielded the following results. Type 1 is the commonest in Batavia; pneumonia caused by it is accompanied by many complications and a high mortality-rate. Pneumonias caused by type 2 resembled mostly typical lobar pneumonia with, however, few complications and a low mortality. Types 5, 7 and 8 were found in mild cases of pneumonia. Type 25 was isolated in four typical cases of pneumonia. The “nonclassifiable” strains show a heterogeneous character. Presumably in this group are included strains of one or more types, rivaling type 1 in virulence.
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