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In connection with diarrhœal prevalence an interesting account appears in the report of the
medical officer of health of Hackney concerning an outbreak of diarrhoea in a family after
a meal consisting of a meat pie. The pie was eaten on two successive days for dinner, and
it was after the second meal that nine persons who partook of it suffered from severe diarrhoea
and vomiting. In the interval between the two meals the pie had been stored in a place
where it was exposed to contaminated air from a stopped drain. The pie was made with fresh beef.
Other usual causes of diarrhoea would be excluded, and milk was not concerned in the matter. Another
family living in the house, and not eating the pie, escaped. Dr. Warry cites other outbreaks reported,
in all of which "Some of the food was eaten soon after cooking but no ill-effects followed, but later,
the period varying in each case, the food became very poisonous, and produced disastrous results in
those eating it."
Cholera.
The number of deaths attributed to cholera and choleraic diarrhoea registered in the year 1895
was 74, or more than twice the number registered from this cause in 1894. During the summer and
autumn of 1895, as in previous years, systematic investigation was made into cases notified as cholera
or choleraic diarrhœa, and concerning deaths registered as due to those causes. In the following
instances, cases to which suspicion had attached were brought to my notice by medical officers of
health, with whom I had communicated, informing them that I was authorised to have a bacteriological
examination made as in previous years. In all these cases, however, the result of such
examination was to show that there was no evidence of the disease being Asiatic cholera.
The following is a brief account of the cases referred to—
(i.) M. R., male, aged 54, a sawdust dealer, living in Woodman's-place, Newington, was
attacked at 4 a.m. on the morning of the 20th July with abdominal pain, vomiting, and
diarrhoea. The evacuations were described as being "like milk." Cramps in the legs were
complained of soon after the commencement of the illness. On the 21st the patient rallied
somewhat, but on the 22nd he became much worse; hie voice was almost entirely lost and
his extremities were blue and cold. The medical man who was called to see the patient
communicated the facts of the case to Dr. Millsom, medical officer of health of Newington.
Dr. Millsom saw the man on the morning of the 24th. It was not possible to say whether
there was suppression of urine, and the character of the evacuations could not be ascertained.
The patient was indeed in extremis, and died soon after Dr. Millsom's visit.
A post-mortem examination was made on the 25th July, and a piece of ileum was
preserved for bacteriological examination, but Dr. Klein found no evidence of cholera.
No other illness occurred in the house in which M. R. had lived. It appeared that on
the 18th and 19th July the patient had eaten some boiled pork. He had not eaten any shellfish
shortly before the commencement of his illness. He had not been away from home for
a long time.
(ii.) H. H., male, aged 34, living at Wardley-street, Wandsworth, was employed in collecting
fat and dripping from hotels for use in the business of a fatmelter. Early on the 24th
August he was attacked by abdominal pains and diarrhoea, and later in the day vomiting
supervened. The diarrhoea continued on the 25th, and the patient became worse on the 26th.
*See footnote (2), page 10.