Tuberculosis as a necropsy room hazard.

The literature suggests that there are grounds for suspecting that the necropsy room might be a centre for the dissemination of tuberculosis. Hedvall (1940) discussed the incidence of tuberculosis among students at Lund University, and found that it was significantly greater among medical students than among those of other faculties, and that a high proportion of the cases appeared to coincide with the course in general pathology. Bacteriological examination of the post-mortem rooms showed that tubercle bacilli (verified by culture and animal inoculation) were present on towels and trays and in the dust on necropsy tables for 24 hours after a necropsy on a case of tuberculosis, in spite of the usual precautions as regards cleanliness. No fresh cases occurred after stringent precautions were taken and the examination of tuberculous cases was limited. Sloan (1942), in America, devised an experiment to see if tubercle bacilli were disseminated from fresh necropsy material. A glass plate was suspended 8 in. above tuberculous lungs which were being cut with scissors and pressed. The plate was washed after being in position for 15 minutes, and after direct smears had been made the washings were centrifuged and cultured, but not inoculated. In eight out of 10 experiments tubercle bacilli were grown, and Sloan concluded (1) that methods of examination using the compression technique contaminate the atmosphere in the vicinity of the necropsy, and (2) that fresh tuberculous lungs are distinctly dangerous and a potent source of atmospheric contamination against which proper protection should be used. Morris (1946) described conditions in the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania. Working from patch test conversion rates, she