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31
Enteric Fever.—Of this disease there were 70
cases during the year. By a reference to Table 10 it
will be seen that there was no special prevalence to be
noted. There was, however, the usual autumnal
increase in the fourth quarter of the year. The inquiries
made in respect of the cases failed to elicit any
information as to the origins of the infection, but in
respect of three patients there was evidence that
they were infected whilst living outside the District.
Information was also received from Medical Officers
of other districts, of three cases in which the infection
appeared to have been received within the Parish.
The length of the "incubation period" makes inquiries
into the origin of sporadic cases of this disease very
unsatisfactory.
In several cases the eating of oysters was alleged
to be the cause of the disease, and it may be remembered
that at the close of the year there was no little
stir created among the oyster traders by a general
scare as to the probability of infection through the
bivalve in question. It will be useful to state here
some of the evidence on the point.
Oysters and Enteric Fever.
The theory that oysters might be a channel of
infection for this disease came as news to most people
during the last autumn, but a suspicion of such
danger has existed in the minds of many medical men
for some time past. It was in Dublin that the theory