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87
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
Of the 47 cases removed to hospital, 15 or 32 per cent. were
found not to be suffering from Enteric Fever, compared with 30
per cent. in 1908.
The Chart shows the number of cases notified during the year.
In 20 of the weeks during the year no cases were notified,
one case each in 15 of the weeks, two cases each in eight of the
weeks, three cases each in two of the weeks, four cases in one of
the weeks, five cases in two of the weeks, and six cases in two
of the weeks. The maximum number of cases, viz. :—six, was
notified in the last week of February and the first week of
September.
Of the 66 cases notified 14 were not Enteric Fever, leaving
52 cases in which special enquiries were made as to the probable
cause of the disease.
In only five of the cases was the disease probably contracted
by eating shell-fish, in five it was contracted outside the Borough
(one in Spain, one in Ramsgate, one in Lincoln, and two in other
places), in two the infection was contracted from other cases, in
seven probably from watercress, in nine from polluted milk supply,
while in 24 no history of infection could be ascertained.
With regard to the five cases caused by shell-fish, two were
from oysters, two from mussels, and one from winkles.
The nine cases caused by infected milk supply were the
subject of special reports, as follows :—
"On the 18th February 1 received a letter from Dr.
Crookshank, Medical Officer of Health to the Urban District
of Barnes, stating that five cases of Enteric Fever had
recently occurred in his district in all of which the milk had
been supplied by a purveyor in this Borough.
"The same evening I interviewed the purveyor and,
although at that time no cases had been notified to me, I
asked him to let me have a list of all the farms from which he