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however shewed that thirty-nine per cent, of the
patients had eaten mussels and fourty-four per cent,
fried fish.
To any one who observes the habits of working
people in East London it is obvious that fried fish
(purchased ready cooked) is a staple article of diet;
but in order to get some definite idea of the ordinary
habits of the class of persons amongst whom the large
proportion of cases of fever occurred, Mr. Henley, at
Dr. Harrier's suggestion undertook an investigation
to settle the point. He interviewed some 283 persons
who were in ordinary health and who inhabited
houses of a similar class to those recently occupied by
the fever patients. A summary of Mr. Henley's
enquiries will be found in the Appendix at p. 73, and
from his report it will be seen that about twentytwo-and-a-half
per cent, of the adults interviewed and
five-and-a-half per cent, of the children had recently
eaten mussels, and that seventy-seven per cent, of the
adults, and sixty-three per cent, of the children had
recently eaten fried fish.
Enquiry was made as to the origin of this fish, and
it was found that the mussels were almost invariably
bought from street barrows, which could not be traced.
Wet fish is bought daily by the fryers at the market
in small quantities so as to ensure its freshness. It it
not customary to deal with particular salesmen, the
fryers seek what they require where it is cheapest and
freshest. Rail fish is gutted before being put on rail,
but steamer fish is delivered at the market whole.
Mr. Henley visited a large number of the fried-fish
shops and ascertained that all fish is gutted and well
cleaned before it is cooked. This applies to dabs both