View report page

39
mussel; and (3) over 10,000 Streptococci per average mussel;
these of course indicating a high degree of pollution, and such
mussels would be certainly very likely to set up diarrhceal conditions.
Correspondence ensued between this Department and the
shipbreaking firm referred to, when the firm definitely gave an
undertaking that in future they would see that immediately any
vessel was brought to their yard for breaking-up purposes that the
shell fish adhering to the sides and bottom should be thoroughly
scraped off and destroyed, to ensure that in future no persons
should be able to make any other use of any such polluted shell
fish. We are not aware, and in fact do not think it probable,
that any of the shell fish were sold, but were simply gathered by
the individual consumers.
Three cases which were notified and removed to the hospital,
presumably suffering from this disease, were considered by the
authorities in charge there not to be suffering from such disease,
two being diagnosed as suffering from Epidemic Diarrhœa, and in
one the illness was not stated.
Recent investigations seem to prove beyond question that
some few persons who have suffered from an attack of Typhoid
Fever may continue to be carriers and distributors of the germ
either continuously or intermittently for long periods of time, and
the Local Government Board are now endeavouring to obtain
more definite information on this point, having enlisted the
assistance of the Medical Superintendents of the Metropolitan
Asylums Board and the Medical Officers of Health of the various
London Boroughs, so that in future certain persons who are discharged
from the Hospital after suffering from Typhoid Fever
will be kept under the supervision of the respective Sanitary
Authorities for varying periods of time, bacteriological examinations
being made for the discovery of the Typhoid germ at
varying intervals, by which means it is hoped that some definite
information will be obtained on this point.