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apparently, had an attack of diphtheria about four weeks previous
to the outbreak at the Schools, and having directly infected
through contact her 5 children, of whom 4 went to the Lambeth
Parochial Schools (giving rise to the outbreak there). The fifth
child (baby) and Mrs. Jarvis remained at the Workhouse, causing
a small local outbreak in connection with the Infirmary there,
Mrs. Jarvis infecting her own baby and 9 other inmates,
traced directly or indirectly, as follows (vide Table IV.):—
Edith King, Fanny Bowles, Rose Goulestone, Selina Jessop,
Emily Wells, Charlotte Banbury, Richard Barker,
Thomas Nicholls, Sarah Jarvis, Florence Hall.
At the Workhouse Infirmary, on July 13-14 there was a
curious outbreak of "sore-throats," which was attributed, by the
Medical Officer there, to the disturbing of earth (soil) near to the
Infirmary. The cases of "sore throats" were 26 in number,
on those dates, being distributed throughout the Infirmary Wards
as follows:—
No. No.
Wards. of Cases. Wards. of Cases.
G 2 K 4
H — M 3
1 (1) 5 O 4
1 (2) 8
8 nurses were also affected, making a total of 34, to be followed
by 13 additional cases between July 14th and July 19th.
Wards G, H and I are in one block, and K, M and O in another.
Mrs. Jarvis and her child (Sarah) were in I (2). A bacteriological
examination of the throat of Mary Jarvis (mother) at first shewed
only staphylococci and streptococci, but afterwards modified
(involuted) Klebs-Lœffler bacilli, in cultivation. The explanation
of this is that Mary Jarvis had an attack of Diphtheria (combined
probably with Vincent's Angina or Ulcerative Stomatitis) about
the middle of April, and that, at the time of her entrance to the
Infirmary on account of a superadded attack of simple Tonsillitis,
the Diphtheria germs, which were left in her throat, took on again
virulence, infecting Sarah Jarvis (baby) who died, and the 9
other inmates who were notified as suffering from Diphtheria and
who were removed to the Metropolitan Asylums Board Hospitals.
The exact history of the whole Jarvis family was traced,
and may be placed on record as showing how important it is to