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17
The second series of cases occurred at No. 51, S Street, a six-roomed
house occupied by two families, the C family, 9 in number, upstairs, and the
N family, 8 in number, downstairs. Each family occupied three rooms. The
general sanitary condition of the house may be described as fair.
(1) About October 15th, Gerald C , aged 16, became poorly. He was in
bed for about three weeks and began to get about again towards the end of the
second week of November. When seen on November 27th he had the appearance
of having passed through a serious illness. From the history given there is little
doubt that he had had enteric fever. On November 3rd, Edward N , aged 13,
a companion of Gerald 0 , was certified and removed to hospital as having
scarlet fever, but the illness proved to be enteric fever. The history of the onset
leaves it open to doubt as to whether he was infected at the same time as the
other lad or whether his was a secondary case. The two lads were together a
good deal and had a number of soldier friends, of whom some had recently
been discharged from hospital. No history was obtained pointing to any special
article of food being implicated.
Secondary cases in the house occurred as follows :—
(2) Connie C , aged 5, was taken poorly about November 5th; she was
ailing all through November and well on into December. This case was not
certified, but there is little doubt that it was one of enteric fever.
Gerald C , aged 47, the father, became ill about November 5th ; he
returned to work on November 23rd. This case was not certified.
Emily C , aged 17, became ill about November 5th, was certified to have
enteric fever and removed to Shoreditch Infirmary on November 26th.
(3) Edith C , aged 40, the mother, was taken ill about November 22nd,
certified as suffering from continued fever on December 2nd, and removed to
the Shoreditch Infirmary, where she was subsequently certified to be suffering
from enteric fever.
(4) Nellie N , aged 9, was taken ill about December 4th, and certified
to have enteric fever on December 30th.
(5) Harold C , aged 9, was taken ill about December 14th, and certified
on December 28th.
(6) Robert C , aged 10 months, was noticed poorly on December 21st, and
certified on December 31st.
None of these cases proved fatal. It is to be noted that the disease existed
amongst the members of the two families from about the middle of October until
nearly the end of November before its nature was recognised. There was no
proper medical attendance during this period, the illness being attributed to
influenza. No precautions were taken and the other members of the families
who took the disease became infected in consequence.
(1067) B