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19
Report on
LOCAL OUTBREAKS OF TYPHOID FEVER
IN LAMBETH.
(Adopted by the Vestry, November 23rd, 1899).
There has been recently in Lambeth an increase in the
number of cases of Typhoid Fever, i.e., over the Autumnal
average, and in my investigations I have succeeded in
tracing the source and spread of three local epidemics, the
histories of which are interesting from an etiological point
of view. Typhoid Fever is generally regarded as a water-,
or milk-, or (recently) shellfish-borne disease, its spread by
actual contact from person to person being considered
somewhat rare, so that the subjoined details are noteworthy
as shewing that in all probability Typhoid spreads by actual
contact oftener than is generally supposed—difficulties in
the latter case in collecting the facts and shewing their
inter-relationship being considerable. The contagium is
the Typhoid bacilli of Eberth, which pass from the patients
in large quantities through the bowels and the kidneys, and
so may infect other persons, directly by contact, or indirectly
through food, thereby rendering extreme cleanliness
of person amongst those attending upon the sick, of the
greatest importance. The details are as follow :—
Group I.-—Louisa J. (age 37 years), living at 7, M—
Place, off the Wandsworth Road, was ill with obscure
symptoms which were eventually shewn to be those of
Typhoid Fever, and the case was, after the disease had
run a few weeks of its course, notified, and the usual
precautions then taken. It was too late, however, as
the disease had already directly spread —