View report page

42
Group II.—This second group of cas s concern two families.
The first case was that of a Mrs. A. C., age 32, living with her
husband and four children in a tenement of three rooms at
20, S-Street. This patient is said to have fallen ill on about
April 7th last year. She was removed to the infirmary on the 10th
and was notified as suffering from enteric fever on April 20th.
Enquiries as to the usual sources of infection proved fruitless.
After the removal of this patient to the infirmary one of her
children, Christopher, aged 10 years, fell ill. His illness began on
April 15th but a medical attendant was not called in until the 25th
of that month. The patient was then recognised as suffering from
enteric fever and removed to the infirmary. All the time since the
removal of the mother, this boy has been with his grandmother at
27, W- Road, during the daytime.
It further appears that on the removal of Mrs. C. to the infirmary,
a Mrs. M., a lodger at 217, W-Road, removed some soiled
linen belonging to Mrs. C. of S- Street (the first case) to her
lodgings and washed the same with some of her own linen.
There is a history of Mrs. M. suffering from diarrhoea a few
days after the washing of the soiled linen. She was attended by a
local medical practitioner for about ten days.
On April 26th, the day after the removal of Christopher C.,
the son of Mrs. M., a boy of 11 years, fell ill, but a medical attendant
was not called in until May 5th. On the 6th of that month he
was notified as suffering from enteric fever and removed to hospital.
It may be here mentioned that Mrs. M. occupied, with her husband
and six children, two rooms, with the use of a washhouse, &c.,
common to the other tenants, at 217, W- Road, so that the
presence of a person suffering from enteric fever, amongst a family
so circumstanced, has every opportunity of infecting the whole
family. On April 5th the medical attendant's attention was
also drawn to Grace, age 7 years, sister of the last case. She
remained under observation and treatment at the house until the
9th when she was pronounced to be suffering from enteric fever,
and was removed to hospital on that date.