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17
It may be that neighbourly inter-communication may account for some
of these cases being contracted. For instance, Kate H. was removed to
hospital on the 5th of September from number 20, and Emily K. from the
next house on the 14th September. It is quite within the limits of
probability, that the latter had been visiting the former during her illness.
Again, Charles H., living at 16, is the landlord for 18, 20 and 22. He was
frequently in and out of these houses, superintending himself, certain repairs.
The same reasoning may apply to the cases from Nos. 68 and 70. With
respect to the insinuation of the writer of the above letter, that the closed
houses of Windsor Road had something to do with the origin of these cases,
facts do not lend any support to this theory, for, firstly, the dwellings
backing upon the worst of the closed houses were not affected with Typhoid
Fever, and the only affected houses near them were Nos. 14 and 16; Nos.
20 and 22 not backing upon them, and 28 being some distance, and Nos. 68
and 60 being at a considerable distance from them. So far, a malevolent
influence on the part of the closed houses on the inmates of neighbouring
houses has not been substantiated. Again, as to the nature of the ground
intervening between the backs of the Windsor Road houses and those of
Prince Edward's Road, the writer states that this land slopes and forms a
natural gulley, where water accumulates and interferes with the drainage.
Undoubtedly the ground here is uneven and slopes towards Windsor Road,
and after heavy rains, pools of water may be observed; but in the first place
such pools of water as the above cannot possibly have anything to do with
this outbreak of fever; even if causing dampness of the soil, they would only
have a remote bearing on the outbreak; besides, inequalities occur at the
back of the dwellings the whole of the length of Windsor and Prince
Edward's Roads, yet the cases are mostly aggregated in five houses; finally
an examination of the ground does not convince me the water remains
long enough to have an evil influence on the inmates of the surrounding
houses; for as stated above, each yard is provided with gullies to carry off
surface water.
The cases of Typhoid Fever, occurring this year in the Windsor Road, are
instructive, and have a direct connection with those of last year in Prince
Edward's Road. It will be remembered that Philip H., lodging at 28, Prince
Edward's Road, was notified as suffering from Typhoid Fever, on the 22nd
September; he was nursed at his lodgings by his sister, Mrs. O., a widow
with two children, living at 9, Windsor Road. This sister appears to have
attended to her brother at intervals during the day, and to her family the
remainder of the day, sleeping with her children at 9, Windsor Road. In the
same bouse with Mrs. O., a brother, Ernest H., was residing. On the 28th
October, he was notified as suffering from Typhoid. From inquiry it came
out that this patient had been in the habit of visiting his brother at 28,
Prince Edward's Road, during his illness, and as being one of the family at 9,
Windsor Road, was one of those whose food was probably prepared by
Mrs. O.
While it is clear to my mind that the virus of Typhoid Fever was transferred
from Prince Edward's Road to Windsor Road, by relatives from the
latter road visiting sick persons at the former, there is some difficulty in
asserting positively that C. S., of 12, Windsor Road, the next case notified,
contracted the disease directly from Ernest H., living at 9, Windsor Road,