London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Finsbury 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finsbury Borough]
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140
The bacteriological examinations of the faeces of Mr. and
Mrs. A., his son and the errand boy were interesting in that they
rapidly became negative, and would lead one to the conclusion
that the infection (if any) was a mild, recent one without any
symptoms.
| Mr. A.— | |
| 26th August, 1937 | Positive, B. enteritidis Gaertner. |
| 28th August, 1937 | Positive, B. enteritidis Gaertner. |
| 1st September, 1937 | Negative. |
| 4th September, 1937 | Negative. |
| 7th September, 1937 | Negative. |
| Mr. A. Junior— | |
| 26th August, 1937 | Negative. |
| 28th August, 1937 | Positive, B. enteritidis Gaertner. |
| 1st September, 1937 | Negative. |
| 4th September, 1937 | Negative. |
| 7th September, 1937 | Negative. |
| Mrs. A.— | |
| 28th August, 1937 | Negative. |
| 31st August, 1937 | Positive, B. enteritidis Gaertner. |
| 4th September, 1937 | Negative. |
| 7th September, 1937 | Negative. |
| Errand Boy— | |
| 30th August, 1937 | Positive, B. enteritidis Gaertner. |
| 2nd September, 1937 | Negative. |
| 6th September, 1937 | Negative. |
| 9th September, 1937 | Negative. |
These Negative findings obtained within such a short time
of Positive results were similar to those obtained in the cases of
three patients who rapidly became Negative after admission to
hospital.
There probably exist many more carriers of such pathogenic
organisms than is now thought to be the case, and an investigation
on these lines might reveal some illuminating results. The four
Positive results obtained in this investigation must be very
unusual.