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The history of typhus during the year 1892 has been as follows—-
January—Two cases of typhus occurred in East-street, Plumstead, in a family which had
suffered from this disease in the previous year. A girl aged seven died at her home in Tyers-street,
Lambeth, the death being certified as typhus ; the source of infection was not discovered.
February—A death in Newington was attributed to typhus, but medical opinion differed as to
the nature of the malady.
March—The death of a casual labourer in Fendall-street, Bermondsey, was certified to be due
to typhus. There is some doubt as to the nature of the illness in this case.
April—A second death from typhus was registered in Lambeth, and in this case some doubt
attaches to the nature of the disease. In the same month a woman was removed to hospital from
Hammersmith suffering from this disease. The death of a woman attributed to typhus was registered
in Marylebone. The nature of the disease in this case was considered doubtful. A young man
suffering from typhus was removed from Boundary-place, Shoreditch. The medical officer of
health of Shoreditch thus writes of this case in his report for the quarter ending July 2nd, 1892—
"On enquiring at the house occupied by the young man, J.S., I found that three families had been
occupying the four rooms, but that the whole of one family was away ill. On tracing them, it appeared
that about the middle of March the landlady, Mrs. S., had found her lodger, Mrs. H., who occupied a
small back-room upstairs, to be seriously ill and in a state of destitution. On the 18th March,
Mrs. H. was removed to the infirmary, and on the 1st April her husband was admitted to the London
Hospital. Subsequently, their two children were taken into the infirmary. The young man, J.S., then
attempted to cleanse the room, but had to desist on account of the offensive and sickening smell. On
the 22nd April, a fortnight after her son's removal, Mrs. S.., the landlady, took ill, and I was notified
that she was suffering from enteric fever, but, having seen the case, I was satisfied that it was a typical
one of typhus fever, and she was removed to Homerton Hospital, where my diagnosis was confirmed.
I am indebted to Dr. Forbes, the medical superintendent of the infirmary, and to Mr. R. J.
Williams, house physician to Dr. Fenwick at the London Hospital, for particulars relating to the
illnesses of the H. family. The father did not suffer from fever till ten days after admission, when he
had a temperature of 103° to 104° Fall, for eleven days, after which it became normal, and it was thought
he had an abortive form of enteric fever. Mrs. H. seemed to be suffering from debility and destitution
on admission to the infirmary, but not being quite satisfied with the progress of the case, Dr. Forbes
procured her admission to Homerton Hospital, and as it was doubtful as to the disease, it was notified as
a ' continued fever' (both typhus and enteric fevers, as well as some milder forms of fever being included in
this term"). The boys were found on admission to be both suffering from pneumonia; both, but especially
the elder, had high temperatures, which subsided suddenly nine days after. All the six persons
recovered. While it would be impossible, looking simply at the cases in the H. family, to say that there
was any connection with typhus fever in the complaint, yet, when they are regarded in the light of
the two typical cases of this disease in the same house and the manner in which it appeared, I am
satisfied that the illnesses of the other four persons were manifestations of typhus fever."
The illness of a woman in Greenwich was erroneously certified as typhus. Two women
were removed to hospital from different houses in Acorn place, Rotherhithe, their illnesses being
certified as typhoid. The notes supplied to me at the time by the medical officer of health show
that in July a second case, certified as typhoid, was removed from one of these houses, the
disease being recognised in the hospital as typhus ; a case of typhus was also removed from the
other house, and later in the same month two other cases of typhus were removed from houses
already infected, and two cases from a third house in the same street, these three houses supplying
seven cases of illness, all of which must be regarded as typhus. One of the earlier cases was a bottle
washer in the East India Docks, the other a corn porter.
In July a case of tuberculosis was certified in Shoreditch as typhus. Three cases of typhus
occurred in one overcrowded and insanitary building in Old-street, Shoreditch. The first case was that
of a greengrocer's assistant, whose illness I was informed by the medical officer of health, was not
recognised until a second case, that of a shirt and collar ironer, occurred due to infection from the
first. A third case, that of a tailor, occurred a month later in this house. The source of infection of
the first case is unknown.
In August four cases of typhus occurred in Kensington. I extract from the report of the medical
officer of health of that district the following statement concerning these cases—
" For the first time in many years, there was a limited outbreak of this disease in Kensington,
in the month of August. The cases were four in number. The first case, an imported one, came from
Brentford, where the sufferer, a married woman, who lived at Acton, had been engaged in fruit picking.
Having fallen ill, she sent to her sister, who fetched her to her own home in Tobin-street, and not
suspecting the infectious nature of the illness, slept in the same bed with her. The sick woman was
visited by her niece, who lived in Walmer-road, and who was the first to become infected. Subsequently,
the sister fell ill, and she in turn infected her husband. Meanwhile, the woman from
Brentford had gone to her own home at Acton, whilst apparently infective—if it is true, as is alleged,
that she infected her husband. But from what disease she was supposed by the Acton authorities to be
suffering I do not know, my application for information not having been acknowledged. The three
Kensington cases were notified by as many doctors (on August 29th, August 30th, and September 6th
respectively) as cases of typhus fever, and as such were removed to the Western hospital. The medical
superintendent of the hospital, upon discovering the nature of the illness, immediately communicated
with me. I saw the several patients with him, and concurred in his diagnosis. All recovered."
September—A case of typhus was removed to hospital from Londesborough-road, Stoke
Newington. The patient was a clerk employed in the City, and the source of infection was unknown.
October—A case of tuberculosis in Shoreditch was certified to be typhus. A case of enteric fever
in Greenwich was certified to be typhus.
December—A rag sorter in Church-street, Deptford, was certified to be suffering from typhus and
removed to hospital.