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Attempts to identify streptococcal throat infections on clinical evidence alone do not provide an adequate or reliable index of the prevalence of these infections in the community. Epidemiologic information on streptococcal throat infections based on bacteriological identification permits a more accurate assessment of the situation and more logical and more effective control measures. Recent refinements in laboratory procedures have provided a simple, reliable and relatively inexpensive method for the identification of Group A beta hemolytic streptococci by public health or clinical laboratories. In Orange County a program for the identification of streptococcal throat infections by cooperative action of the medical profession, the health department and the school authorities greatly aided in control of the disease. A voluntary health agency (heart association) made an important contribution toward the success of the control program.

Since June 1958 the medical society, the medical institutions and the medical professions in Orange County have conducted an intensive program to control and prevent the spread of antibiotic resistant infections.In this community-wide effort, rules designed to protect the hospital population against infectious dangers have been developed and enforced, courses in food-handling and housekeeping sanitation have been given to hospital employees, and a program to solve some of the laboratory aspects of antibiotic resistant infections has been developed.

Seventeen states provide for admission of patients to mental hospitals by medical certification without judicial procedure. The aim is to avoid the police aspects of dealing with mentally ill persons without depriving them of constitutional rights. The California law, passed in 1947, has now had ten years' trial. In Orange County, 888 patients were examined under this act between 1947 and 1957. Of these, 486 were admitted to state mental institutions while 402 did not currently require hospitalization. Local modifications have provided additional safeguards to the patient, have made it more acceptable professionally, and have resulted in wider use of the act in Orange County.A comparison of costs between the medical certification procedure and court commitments indicated that, in 1957, court commitments were seven times more expensive than admissions by medical certification. The greater humanity of the procedure and the economy of it lead to the conclusion that, with a few changes, medical certification of mentally ill patients should be more widely used.