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Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
157
"On inquiry I have ascertained that six people sat down to
dinner on Wednesday night, the 26th, their ages being respectively,
occupier of house 58 years, wife 54 years, a son 22 years, a daughter
19 years, one lady guest 19 years, and one male guest 30 years.
The dinner consisted of soup made from stock, joint and sweets,
which consisted of the pineapple in question and custard. The
only dish partaken of by all the six and also by the servants was
the pineapple. I also ascertained that the pineapple had Becn
purchased on the Saturday previously by the wife of the occupier
and that it was made into a jelly by the cook on Wednesday
morning, the gelatine used being ordinary leaf gelatine, the stock
of which was in the house, and part of which had Becn used with
no ill results. The pineapple jelly after being made was kept in
the larder from mid-day until it was placed on the table about
8.30 p.m.
"The occupier's wife partook of the pineapple jelly only, she
had no soup, joint or other sweet. She was the first to be affected,
having Becn taken ill with vomiting, diarrhoea and colic about 3 a.m.
The husband was taken ill about three hours afterwards and the
daughter at the same time. The son is stated to have Becn ill
about seven hours after partaking of it (i.e., about 4 a.m.), the
female guest about 6 in the morning and the male guest, although
he felt sick about an hour after dinner did not have any definite
symptoms until the evening of the next day, nearly 24 hours after.
"With regard to the servants I have Becn informed that the
cook returned about 10 p.m. and finished the pineapple jelly.
The housemaid who had taken some jelly previously was taken ill
about 4 a.m. and the cook was taken ill about 5 a.m.
"The symptoms in all the cases were the same, but the
occupier's wife was exceedingly ill and in a state of collapse when
the Doctor saw her early in the morning.
"I have also seen the medical man in attendance who gave
me the particulars of the illness and who informed me that he
saw the tin in which the pineapple was bought, but that he could
not see anything unusual.