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80
T.A.H., female, age 9 years, had a headache on Sunday, 21st, which
cleared off by the next day. L.H., male 8 years, had diarrhœa on the
19th and 20th. A Widal test was negative. E.H., male, 5 years, is
usually loose, Widal, negative here. 1 have explained to the Committee
before that a lapse of days has to take place before certain
substances in the blood are formed—where infection with a typhoid
bacillus has taken place—whereby a positive Widal, that is an agglutination
can be secured. The health history of the third family was of
the first importance, and this should be read carefully. J.T.H., the
father, left England on 1st March, 1912 and arrived in the Argentina
on 23rd March. He worked as a locomotive fireman and driver at
Tucamen, 700 miles inland from Buenos Ayres. There were numerous
cases of enteric fever there and he contracted the disease and was ill
during March, April and May, 1913. He left the Argentine in
September, 1915 and enlisted in the Army in England on November,
10th, 1915, leaving for France in February, 1917. He was discharged
from the Army in February, 1919, and returned to his home at 79 M. C.
Road. His daughter, P.H., contracted enteric fever in 1920. His
wife contracted the disease in August, 1923, dying in a few days, the
provisional diagnosis being confirmed at a post mortem. It should be
particularly noticed that this family moved on 20th September, 1923
to join the other two families at 18 P. Street. The arrival of this
family at 18 P. Street and the illness of E.H. on 9th October gave
rise to a suspicion that either J.T.H. or his daughter, P.H., or both,
were carriers. Enquiry was made as to the sleeping arrangements and
these were found to be—First bedroom: E.G.H. and son (the patient),
aged 6 years, slept in one bed. J.T.H. and son, J.H., 17 years, slept
in a second bed. Second bedroom: Miss T.H. (aunt) and P.H.,
aged 19 years (daughter of J.T.H., who formerly had enteric fever),
slept in one bed. Third bedroom: J.H.H. and wife, F.H., and
daughter, B.H., aged 4 years, slept in one bed. Fourth bedroom. In
one bed, C.H. (male, aged 13 years), and L.H. (male, aged 8 years),
In second bed, T.A.H. (female, aged 9 years) and E.H. (female, aged
5 years). There are two kitchens, one used by J.H.H., his wife and
five children. The second kitchen is used by J.H., his son J.H., (aged
17 years), P.H. (19 years), and E.G.H. and his son, E.H. (the patient)
and aunt, T.H.
When the child E.H. was taken ill on 9th October, his aunt T.H.
stopped sleeping with her neice, P.H., and slept with the child E.H.