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83
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
nosis more certain, samples of the faeces and urine have been
taken, and these are now under examination at the Lister
Institute. I am, however, of opinion that this infant is convalescent
from Enteric Fever, and that the first symptoms
occurred about the end of September, a fortnight after it had
been exposed to infection. R. B. was ill for nine days before
his removal to hospital, and was being nursed by the same
person who had charge of the infant without any precautions
being taken. The nurse states that she prepared food both
for the boy R. B. and for the boy J. J., and it is easy to
understand how the infection could have been communicated.
"The necessary disinfection has been carried out by the
staff.
"The infant is being treated at home under the supervision
of the medical attendant, and I do not expect that any
further cases will occur."
The stools and urine of the infant S. J. were examined on
two separate occasions, but on both a negative result was
obtained. A Widal re-action was, however, obtained on a second
examination.
One of these cases, the nurse, aged 22 years, died in hospital.
Another case occurred in the same street a few weeks after,
and it was at first thought that this last case was also infected by
S. J., but further inquiries showed that the patient had partaken
of shell-fish purchased from the same vendor that supplied R. B.
This last case was not notified for seven weeks after the first
symptoms appeared, and died the same day that the notification
was received.
Of the total number of cases, viz.: 14, in which infection was
probably caused by eating shell-fish, six died, and other six cases,
one of which died, were infected by one of the cases caused by
shell-fish.
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