View report page

33
Typhus.
During the year 1894, 21 cases of typhus were notified, and 5 deaths from this cause were
registered in London.

The death rate of each year since 1868 in relation to the mean of the period 1869-94 is shown
in diagram XIV.
I made inquiry of the several medical officers of health as to the cases of typhus notified in
London during 1894, and the following information was obtained—
January.—No cases of typhus fever were notified or removed to hospital during this month.
February.—Two cases from the same address in Plumstead were notified on February 20th,
but the illness proved in each instance to be haemorrhagic smallpox.
March.—Two cases from a house in Greenwich were notified as enteric fever on March 7th,
and two more cases from the same house on March 8th. Three of the patients were
removed to the South Eastern Hospital of the Metropolitan Asylums Board, and the
illness from which they were suffering was found to be typhus.
On the 7th March a lad, aged 13, living in Lambeth., was certified to be suffering
from typhus, and he was removed to the South Eastern Hospital on the following day.
The diagnosis was not, however, confirmed. The patient died, and the cause of death
was certified as septic meningitis.
On the 28th March a girl, aged 4, living in North Woolwich, was certified to be
suffering from typhus. The mother of this child was notified to Dr. Sanders, the
medical officer of health of West Ham, as a case of typhus, but Dr. Sanders only
received the information after the woman's death. Dr. Sanders informs me that he
learnt that the woman, her husband, and three children lived in one small room, and
that their circumstances were extremely impoverished. The child was removed to
the Eastern Hospital at Homerton, where the diagnosis of typhus was not confirmed.
April.—On the 5th April a case was notified as typhus in Lambeth. The patient was
removed to the South Eastern Hospital, where the diagnosis was not confirmed.
On the 10th April an infant, 10 months old, living in Bethnal-green, was
certified to be suffering from typhus. On being removed to hospital the child was
found to have measles.
May.—On the 10th May a case was notified in Chelsea. The patient, a child aged 4, was
removed to hospital, and there found to be suffering from measles.
On the 18th May a man, 23 years of age, living in St. Pancras, was certified to
be suffeiing from typhus. The case proved, however, to be one of smallpox.
June.—On June 18th a child, aged 2½ living in Bethnal-green, was certified to be suffering
from typhus, and was removed to hospital. It was there found that the illness was
measles.
On June 23rd a case was notified, that of a boy, aged 7, living in Lambeth,
who was removed to hospital. His illness was there found to be acute ulcerative
endocarditis.
July.—On July 4th a case was notified in Camberwell. The patient, who was a woman aged
24, was not removed to hospital. There seems to have been some doubt as to the
nature of her illness.
On July 23rd another case was notified in Camberwell. The patient, who was
not removed to hospital, was a woman, aged 32 ; her child had died of " scarlet fever "
a few days previously. The mother died on July 23rd. No other suspected case of
typhus fever was notified in this neighbourhood.
August.—No case of typhus was notified during this month.
September.—On September 12th a man, aged 51, living in Bermondsey, was certified to
be suffering from typhus. He began to be ill on the 6th September, was removed
to the South Eastern Hospital on the 12th, and died there on the 19th September.
The man had been resident for nine years in the house from which he was removed ;
he was an Italian, and an ice-cream vendor by trade, and was in the habit of visiting
friends in Leather-lane, Holborn. It was not, however, known that any case of typhus
had occurred among these friends, nor indeed could any source of infection be traced.
October.—On October 19th a girl, aged 14, living in Islington, was removed to the South
Eastern Hospital, her illness being supposed to be typhus fever. It was found that
the patient was the subject of an attack of enteric fever.
On October 30th a man, aged 31, and his son, aged 7, were removed from a
house in Rotherhitlie to the South Eastern Hospital. The cases were notified as
typhus, and the diagnosis was confirmed at the hospital. The man and his family
had been suffering from great want for the last 12 months. The man worked as a
casual labourer at Butler's-wharf. He and his family had been residing for 7 weeks
in the house they occupied at the time the illness commenced. No source of infection
could be traced.
On Oct. 30th a man, aged 30, living in Marylebone, was certified to be suffering
from typhus; he had been working at an establishment in Oxford-street, and two of his
fellow-workmen were taken ill at about the same time that he was. These two men
* See footnote (†), page 7.
[5]