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86
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
Of the 42 cases removed to hospital, 10 or 23.3 per cent. were
found not to be suffering from Enteric Fever.
The Chart shows the number of cases notified in each week
during the year.
Of the 70 cases notified, 11 were not Enteric Fever, and four
were notified from H.M. Prison, leaving 55 cases in which special
enquiry was made as to the probable cause of infection.
In 10 of the cases the disease was in all probability contracted
by eating shell-fish, and in nine the disease was contracted
outside the Borough (one in America, one in Germany, one in
France, one in Belgium, one on board ship coming from Australia,
and four in other places). No cases occurred which could
be traced to previous cases.
With regard to the 10 cases presumably due to shell-fish, four
were from oysters, four from mussels, and two from winkles.
The following are the particulars of the cases probably due to
shell-fish:—
(1.) J. F., notified on the 3rd October. Had oysters on the
6th September, at Margate. The first symptoms appeared
about the 18th September.
(2.) E. F., notified on the 18th February. Had oysters at St.
Malo about a fortnight previous to the onset of the
disease.
(3.) F. R., notified on the 25th October. Had oysters in New
York.
(4.) G. H., notified on the 18th November. Was a regular
consumer of oysters in the City. This case proved fatal.
(5.) A. W., notified on the 20th February. Had mussels
regularly from peripatetic dealers.
(6.) K. M., notified on the 5th April. Had mussels from a
local dealer about a fortnight before the onset of the
disease.