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35
On the 24th August, Kate M. and two of her children, Rose
and Alice were notified as suffering from enteric fever, the onset of
the fever being given as about a week previous. She is said,
however, to have been out of sorts for some time longer than this.
and, with her husband and family, occupied the lower floor of
No. 16. She is a sister-in-law of the patient William E., and
there was constant intercourse between the two families. It is
probable, therefore, that she was the connecting link between the
illness of the patient George S., who occupied the upper floor of
the same house, and William E., and also Eliza R., her mother.
On the 21st September, another child, George M., was notified,
the onset of his illness dating from the 6th September. This
child had been sent to an address in Kensington when his mother
was removed to hospital, and the Medical Officer of Health of that
district, who was advised of the fact, reported that on enquiries
being made it was found that the child was an inpatient at St.
George's Hospital. The case was subsequently notified by the
Hospital Authorities as typhoid fever.
On the 7th October, Eliza A. was notified from No. 13,
L- Street, nearly opposite Nos. 16 and 24. This patient
occupied, with her husband and five children, the lower part of
the house, the upper portion being in the occupation of the C
family. This patient had been lying ill at home for some thirteen
days prior to her removal to hospital. On visiting the house I
found that two of the children appeared to show signs of recent
illness, and I was informed that the father, who was at the time
away at work, was also ill. The medical attendant was communicated
with, and two of the children and the father were notified
subsequently and removed to hospital. The three remaining
children were removed to the Workhouse, and the Medical Officer
of Health for Wandsworth advised of the history of the outbreak.
Specimens of blood were obtained from these children for bacteriological
examination, the result being found to be positive in
each case. There being no clinical symptom present, however, it was
not considered necessary to notify these children, though from the
history and the bacteriological test there would appear to be little
doubt that they had suffered from enteric fever.
Margaret C. was notified on the 11th October. This patient
lived, with her family consisting of father, mother, sister and
brother, in the upper portion of No. 13, and had looked after Eliza
A. and her children during her (Eliza A.'s) illness. It is thus
most probable that she was infected from the A. family. Subsequently
her brother Joseph C. was notified and removed to
hospital.
Enquiries were made into the probable source of infection in
the case of these two families, and it was ascertained that the