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31
The death-rate in each year since 1868 in relation to the mean death-rate of the period
1869-1903 is shown in diagram XIV.
The three deaths registered from this disease occurred in Bermondsey.
During the year 1902 only four persons in London were certified to be suffering from
typhus fever. In the early part of the year 1903, however, a number of cases of recognised
typhus occurred in London, viz., in January 1 case, February 2 cases, March 6 cases, and in
April 9 cases.
The case in January was that of H. D., a fishmonger's assistant, aged 25, living in Jamaicaroad,
Bermondsey, who was removed to hospital on the 27th on the supposition that he was
suffering from enteric fever. The source of his infection could not be ascertained. The next case
was that of S. E., aged 16, a tailor's porter, who lived in Stevens-street, Bermondsey, and worked
in Cheapside. He became ill on the 4th of February and the source of his infection was not
known. This case was followed by a group of cases occurring in the same district in February,
March, and April. A special report of Dr. Brown, the medical officer of health of Bermondsey,
gives particulars of these cases.
A girl, E. M., aged 9, living at 14, Warford-place, was removed to hospital on the 28th
February on the supposition that she had scarlet fever, and died on the 8th March from what was
believed to be pneumonia. She attended the St. Joseph's School, Paradise-street, and was last
there on the 23rd February. The source of infection was unknown. Her illness was followed by
that of another girl, N. C., aged 5, the daughter of a potman living at a public-house in Neptunestreet,
attending the same school, and who may have met E. M. in the playground. This child
sickened on the 3rd March and was removed on the 12th March. A third family attacked, the
children of which attended St. Joseph's School, lived in Donne-place, Bermondsey. The first
recognised case was W. R., aged 23, a dock labourer, who was removed on the 7th April. His illness
had been preceded by that of his brother, S. R., aged 8, who was ill between March 16th and 21st,
but who was not at the time known to have typhus. W. R.'s illness was followed by that
of a sister, E. M. R., aged 5, removed on the 14th April, and S. R., aged 15, a brother, removed
on the 29th April.
Of the family of E. M., already mentioned, there were attacked M. M., aged 2, and E. M.,
aged 7, sisters, and I. M., aged 11, brother of E. M., the first two sickened on the 20th and
the last on the 21st March. They were all removed on the 30th. The two former attended
St. Joseph's Infants' School. E. M., aged 35, the mother of the family, was removed on the 3rd
April, and W. M., aged 6, another of her children, was removed on the 19th April.
Another case occurring in Bermondsey was that of a woman, S. L., aged 29, who lived in
Aylton-street. She was a trousers finisher, working for a maker in East London, and she used
to go to the Neptune-street public-house for beer. She was attacked on the 8th March and
removed on the 14th.
Another family attacked, the children of which attended St. Joseph's School, lived in
Salisbury-street, Bermondsey. The first case recognised to be typhus was R. D., aged 18, a
vanguard, removed on 7th April. Dr. Brown found that his brother, J. 1)., aged 8, was ill about
the 6th March with diarrhoea. R. D.'s attack was followed by that of his sister, J. D., aged
15, and his mother, M. A. D., aged 44, both removed to hospital on 10th April.
Another case, not known to be related to the other Bermondsey cases, was that of E. E.,
aged 33, living in Jamaica-road, who was attacked on 5th April. She was engaged in housework
at home. Her sister aged 29 had an illness, said to be influenza, from the 15th to the 22nd March.
This sister worked in her father's office in James-place.
Cases occurring in other districts were W. M., a tailor, aged 43, living in Booth-street,
Whitechapel, attacked on the 20tn February with what was thought to be enteric fever. He was
removed to hospital on 25th February, where his disease was later recognised to be typhus ; also
N. G., aged 19, a tailor's machinist, living in Boundary-street-buildings, Bethnal-green, and
working in Philip-street, Stepney, who was attacked on the 28th March, and removed to hospital
on the 3rd April. His illness had been, before his removal to hospital, thought to be enteric fever.
With respect to the Bermondsey cases, Dr. Brown visited the schools where the patients
and relatives attended and asked the teachers to inform him of all cases of suspicious illness.
The school closed for the Easter holiday early in April, and Dr. Brown recommended that the
school should not be reopened until the 11th May. The school and its contents were disinfected.
The members of infected families were removed to the shelter of the borough council, and, as a
matter of fact, five or six of those who were attacked first developed the disease in the shelter,
and were thus isolated from the beginning of their illness.
It is interesting to note that of the cases not connected with the Bermondsey groups three
were connected with the tailoring trade, viz., in February, S. E., living in Stevens-street, Bermondsey,
and M. L., living in Booth-street, Whitechapel, and in April, N. G., a tailor's machinist,
living in the Council's Cookham-buildings, Boundary-street, and working in Philip-street, Stepney.
Further, among those mentioned in the Bermondsey groups was the case of S. L., living in
Aylton-street, Bermondsey, a trousers finisher for an East-end tradesman occupying premises in
Commercial-road, E.
Enteric Fever.
The number of cases of enteric fever notified in the administrative county of London
during 1903 (52 weeks) was 2,339, compared with 3,407 in 1902. The deaths from this disease
numbered 368 in 1903, compared with 537 in 1902.