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41
Typhoid Fever. There were 50 cases of Typhoid Fever notified
during the year, 32 being in East Greenwich, 10 in West Greenwich,
1 in St. Nicholas, 3 in Charlton, and 4 in Kidbrooke. The ages of
the patients were: 3 between 1 and 5 years, 17 between 5 and
15, 10 between 15 and 25, 19 between 25 and 65, and 1, 65 and
upwards. Of the total number of cases, 39 were removed to the
Hospital for treatment. There were 8 fatalities from this disease
during the year, 6 being persons belonging to East Greenwich,
and 2 to West Greenwich. Thirty-five specimens were forwarded
for bacteriological examination from cases suspected to be Typhoid
Fever in character, and of this number 21 gave a negative report,
and 14 positive. Five cases which were notified as suffering from
this disease and removed to the Hospital for treatment, were after
wards discharged said to be suffering from diseases other than
Typhoid Fever, viz., 1 each Meningitis, Rheumatism, Pneumonia,
Appendicitis, and Hepatic Abscess ; one of the cases of Enteric
Fever was considered to have been contracted whilst the patient
was away at the hop fields at West Mailing, Kent, and one other
under similar circumstances at Faversham ; on enquiry it was
found that 4 cases of this disease had previously occurred in
the same huts at the hop fields occupied by these patients. In
one case the most probable source of infection appeared to be
ice cream which the patient had been in the habit of frequently
purchasing from various itinerant vendors in the streets.
Thirteen of the cases had at about the critical period partaken of
fish in various ways, and the patients or their friends had in most
of these cases considered the fish to be the source of infection,
fuller details of these cases are appended.