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71
The illnesses were characterised by abdominal discomfort,
amounting to pain in some cases, followed by
diarrhoea with loose watery stools, yellow or green in
colour. Mucus was mixed with some of the specimens
of faeces, but no blood was visible to the naked eye.
Nearly half of those affected suffered from vomiting,
but in only three cases, including the two who
died, was there any prostration. The temperature
charts showed rises above the normal in three cases,
but as the patients were not in hospital until the
Monday (except in the two fatal cases) it is probable
that some of them may have been feverish before
admission.
Post-mortem examinations were done in the two
fatal cases by order of the Coroner and although nothing
characteristic was discovered at the time of the examinations,
the bacteriological examinations of the organs
gave positive results.
Bacteriological examinations.—These investigations
were conducted at the Ministry of Health Laboratory.
Bacillus Aertrycke was found practically in pure
culture in the liver and spleen of the two fatal cases
and the bacillus was also present in their intestines.
The faeces were examined in eighteen cases, in
thirteen of which Bacillus Aertrycke was present. There
is no doubt therefore that the outbreak was due to
Bacillus Aertrycke.
The blood serum of nine of the patients was examined
and eight of the specimens gave a positive agglutination
reaction to B. Aertrycke. The highest dilutions
of the patients' serum which agglutinated the bacillus
in the eight positive cases were as follows:—
1 in 20 in three cases.
1 in 40 in two cases.
1 in 80 in two cases.
1 in 160 in one case.
Dr. Scott, of the Ministry of Health, stated that
the titres were lower than usual and suggested that