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Bridget Archer. These 7 cases were also removed to the Metropolitan
Asylums Board Hospital as follows:—June 28th, 1;
June 30th, 4; July 1st, 1; and July 4th, 1. Thus, 16 cases arose
from Bridget Archer, out of 40 inmates who were in the
Receiving Ward at the time of her admission.
The dates of admission into the Receiving Ward of these 9
children were as follows:—
Daniel Mumford, May 31. Mildred Bounds, June 5.
Florence Nicholls, June 3. Ellen Archer, June 6.
Alfred Nicholls, June 3. George Eslin, June 16.
Alice Bounds, June 5. Christopher Eslin, June 16.
James Bounds, June 5.
It will be seen, therefore, that, with the exception of George
and Christopher Eslin, who went to Norwood the same day as
Bridget Archer, and so may have caught the infection on route
or at the Workhouse, the above children contracted the disease
at the Receiving Ward.
Bridget Archer was admitted into the Receiving Ward on the
certificate of the Workhouse Medical Officer, to the effect that
the patient was simply suffering from "enlarged tonsils." No
precaution was consequently taken in regard to special isolation,
though a bacteriological examination was thought to be advisable,
having regard to the state of the patient's throat (inflamed tonsils),
with the result already stated. The 4 infected Jarvis children
(Willie, Harry, Rose and Alice) had already been mixing with
the inmates of the Receiving Ward on and off since March 22nd,
apparently without any direct ill effect in the way of true Diphtheria
infection, but with the result that a large number of throats
and noses became infected, as proved afterwards by bacteriological
examination, with the pure or modified Hoffmann's
pseudo-bacilli or the modified (involuted) Klebs-Lœffler bacilli
—shewing that the Jarvis infection was attenuated. Such an
explosive material was ready to fire on application of a match,
and this was applied on June 16th—17th (24 hours) in the person
of Bridget Archer, whose throat and nose showed a pure cultivation
of Klebs-Lœffler bacilli. It was found that, for some
reason, the Guardians did not close the Receiving Ward against
new entries until June 19th, when such a course was, consequently,
insisted upon by the Medical Officer of Health.
Bridget Archer, before coming to the Lambeth Parochial
Schools had been at Lambeth Workhouse, where she caused,