London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1910
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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iv.
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1910.
Report of the Medical Officer of Health-Appendix II. v.
(a) Indicates a case in which glanders was suspected 1 ut in which this diagnosis was not confirmed.
APPENDIX II.
CASES OF HUMAN GLANDERS IN LONDON-1893-1911.
| Date (usually that of death). | Initials and age. | Employment and where employed. | Institution where treated. | Symptoms. Course of disease. How long it was recognised before death. | Post mortem appearances. Whether bacillus mallei found. | Evidence, if any, as to manner in which disease was contracted, and general remarks. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.x.93 | W.W., 46 | Stables of L.R. Car Co., Hammersmith | West London Hospital | Eruption on forehead, neck, arms and thighs. Illness only diagnosed two days before death | Ulceration of nasal septum, larynx and trachea. Nodules in lungs. Pus in elbow joints. Intramuscular abscess | Bitten in finger of right hand by a glandered horse. The post mortem showed a predominance of disease on right side of body. There had been a number of cases of glanders in the stables recently. |
| 8.X.94 | M.B.M., 43 | Cab proprietor of Paddington | v. "Times" of 8.X.94 | Injury to thumb, followed by inflammation in armpit | - | Two of M.B.M.'s horses said to have died from glanders He was kicked on the thumb when attending to them. |
| 18.vii.97 | J.T.L., 35 | Stables in New King's Road, Ful-ham | Fulham Infirmary | Headache, difficulty of breathing, swelling on forehead. Day before death glanders diagnosed | Examination of pus from swelling on forehead made nature of disease apparent | Had been in attendance on glandered horses. During July nine horses were condemned at the premises at which J.T.L. worked. |
| 17.vi.98 | T.B., 18 | Costermonger, Bag- ley's-lane Fulham | St. George's Hospital | Abscess in head. Pustules on body. Fever. Nature of disease not recognised before death | Diagnosis made on evidence found at the post mortem examination | On May 9th two animals, which had been stabled with deceased spony, were condemned as being glandered. The man's own pony showed no sign of disease. |
| 6.viii.98 | G.H., 32 | Carman, Wandsworth | St. Thomas' Hospital | Ill three years. Breaking out on arms seven months. At close of illness pustules broke out over body | Diagnosis only made after death. During life it was believed he had typhoid fever | A horse in the stable at which he worked was condemned as being glandered on 6.viii.95. |
| 21.iii.99 | E.V.N., 25 | Carman, Camden Town | London Temperance Hospital | Cold and congestion of lungs. Later a rash appeared | Diagnosis only made after death | In Norwich until February, attended a sick horse when there. No evidence of contact with glandered |
| 10.viii.00 | W.M., 45 | Cab proprietor, Fitzroy-mews | Guy's Hospital • | Swellings in arms and legs and high fever | Subcutaneous swellings, furuncles, small abscess in forearm. Fluid in knee joint | horses subsequent to arrival in London. Glanders existed in W.M.'s stud of 54 horses at Fitzroy- mews at time of his death. Nine animals in all were killed. |
| ll.x.00 | G.B., - | Carman, Rygate-street, E. | London Hospital | At first supposed to have "influenza," and then to have typhoid fever | Admitted to hospital with pyrexia and multiple abscesses. Death on third day. B. mallei found | Pure growth of B. mallei obtained from pus from abscesses. Orchitis produced, by loopful of this growth, in guinea pig. See cntlbl. fur Bakt, Orig. Bd. xxxix. 1. Paper by Drs. Bulloch and Twort. |
| (a)31.x.00 | J.A., - | Stable in Kensal-road | - | At first supposed to have plague and then to have glanders | The case proved to be one of scleroderma | - |
| 7.i.01 | H.S., 25 | Horsekeeper, Hackney | Westminster Hospital | Intramuscular abscesses in right arm and leg | Typical cultures were obtained from the pus, and these inoculated into g.p.'s | The man was discharged well. The horses he had charge of were healthy. This is Case III. in Bern stein and Carling's paper (1909). |
| 23.i.01 | W.W.D., 38 | Horsekeeper, Hammersmith | Fulham Infirmary | Pains and swellings in various parts of body. Diagnosed after death "chronic glanders " | gave positive characteristic reactions Lungs were saved for examination, but were too decomposed to be used | No evidence of contact with glandered horses. |
| 12.i.02 21.ii.02 | J.R. 47 G.C., - | Employed in stable at Norwood Coachman | Croydon Infirmary Royal Chest Hospital | Swelling on inside of leg and on head | Death was certified to be due to "pyæmia" | The horse he had tended died on 23.xii.01 from glanders. |
| 22.viii.02 | R.N., 46 | At coal merchants, Bow | Poplar Sick Asylum | Admitted with "lumbago" 7th June, discharged himself, re-admitted on 11th and died on 17th August. Discharge from right nostril | Lungs infiltrated. Lymphatic glands enlarged. Larynx and pharynx hæmorrhagic spots. B. mallei cultivated | No evidence that the horses he tended had glanders. |
| 10.V.03 | C.F., 34 | Organ grinder, Pim-lico | St. George's Infirmary | "Influenza" and later sore on forehead (three days before death) | Nodules in lungs. Pus on surface of brain. Intramuscular abscesses | Kept his organ in empty stable in mews. Several glandered horses removed from within a short distance and one from adjoining stable. |
| 30.V.03 | A.D., 31 | Packer, Waltham- stow | London Hospital | Chronic pyæmia, multiple abscesses | B. mallei isolated from abscess. Inoculation gave positive result, g.p. died on third day | The man was discharged well. See paper by Drs. Bulloch and Twort referred to above. |
| Three other chronic cases are mentioned in Drs. Bulloch and Twort's paper as having been treated at London Hospital between 1900 and 1903 A.F. had abscesses of thighs lasting for months. F.R. (23) a carman, was ill many months. Intramuscular abscesses. Another carman suffered similarly from chronic pyæmia | In all three cases the bacillus mallei was isolated by Drs. Bulloch and Twort. | |||||
| 31.X.03 | C.P., 55 | Printer, Bethnal Green | Eastern Hospital | Admitted as enteric fever. Intramuscular abscesses developed | B. mallei was isolated | No evidence of contact with glandered horses. See Vet. Record 2.ix.05. Paper by Dr. Goodall. |
| 3.ii.04 | H.B., 51 | Tram conductor. Leytonstone | London Hospital | Ill three weeks, shivering and fever. Pustules on arms, legs and forehead. Erythematous rash. Death two days after admission | Farcy nodules in skin. Acute glanders nodules diffused throughout the lungs. B. mallei isolated | See paper by Drs. Bulloch and Twort referred to above. No evidence of contact with glandered horses. |
| 6.V.04 | S.S., 30 | Tram driver, Clapton | Hackney Infirmary | Intramuscular abscesses (thigh and chest wall) | No nodules in lungs. No ulcerations of trachea or of septum nasi | No evidence of contact with glandered horses. Inquest verdict left nature of disease open to doubt. |
| 25.viii.04 | D.O'C., 28 | Farrier, Shoreditch | Shoreditch Infirmary | Supposed to have septicæmia. Dr. Bryett suspected case was one of farcy | B. mallei found | Had been in contact with glandered horse seven or eight weeks prior to illness. |
| 14.xi.04 | H.A.L., 24 | Horsekeeper, Great Ormond-yard : | Westminster Hospital | On 31.X.04 fell and bruised ribs. Two days later "alveolar abscess." Pustular eruption. Sores on mouth. Nasal discharge | Diffuse browny dark purplish swelling of face and neck. Pustular eruption. Multiple subcutaneous and intramuscular nodules. B. mallei found | Stud of 130 horses was tested and 20 reacted to mallein and were slaughtered. This is Case I. in Bernstein and Carling's paper (1909). |
| l.iii.05 | W.H., 33 | Ostler, Limehouse | Eastern Hospital... | Thought to have enteric fever. Swelling knee joint and forearm | B. mallei isolated | Patient recovered. Last case of glanders reported from stables 15.iii.04. |
| 16.V.05 | G.C.N., 52 | Horsekeeper, Fulham | St. George's Hospital | Believed to be pleurisy, then rheumatic fever, then septicaemia. Pustules developed. Glanders diagnosed day before death | B. mallei found in pus | Bitten by a horse on hand in January, 05. Stud was badly glandered. |
| 3.vi.05 | E.A.C., 44 (female) | Wife of carman, Fulham | St. George's Hospital | Three weeks' pain in knee and side. Pyrexia. Indurated patches and vesicles on skin | B. mallei isolated. No nodules in lungs | "Passionately fond of horses." One of her husband's horses was glandered. She lived in mews. |
| 1l.viii.05 | A.A., 45 | Horsekeeper, Lambeth | Westminster Hospital | Seven weeks' headache, muscular pains. Two weeks' swellings in left leg and forearm | Intramuscular abscesses. B. mallei found. Dark hæmorrhagic firm areas in lungs | No clear evidence of contact with glandered horses. This is Case II. in Bernstein and Carling's paper (1909). See also Lond. Vet. Record 19.viii.05. |
| 19.viii.05 | A.B., 22 | Carman | Westminster Hospital | First seen May, 1904. Then ill nine months. Erosion of oral and nasal pharynx. Mercury and iodides prescribed | Lower jaw extensively necrosed, central portion of tongue sloughed. B. mallei found. Lungs clear | Mallein reaction obtained January, 05. Death in Lambeth Infirmary. This is Case V. in Bernstein and Carling's paper (1909). |
| APPENDIX II. CASES OF HUMAN GLANDERS IN LONDON-1893-1911. | ||||||
| [###]Date (usually that of death). | Initials and age. | Employment and where employed. | Institution where treated. | Symptoms. Course of disease. How long it was recognised before death. | Post mortem appearances. Whether bacillus mallei found. | Evidence, if any, as to manner in which disease was contracted, and general remarks. |
| 24.x.93 | W.W., 46 | Stables of L.R. Car Co., Hammersmith | West London Hospital | Eruption on forehead, neck, arms and thighs. Illness only diagnosed two days before death | Ulceration of nasal septum, larynx and trachea. Nodules in lungs. Pus in elbow joints. Intramuscular abscess | Bitten in finger of right hand by a glandered horse. The post mortem showed a predominance of disease on right side of body. There had been a number of cases of glanders in the stables recently. |
| 8.X.94 | M.B.M., 43 | Cab proprietor of Paddington | Injury to thumb, followed by inflammation in armpit | - | Two of M.B.M.'s horses said to have died from glanders He was kicked on the thumb when attending to them. | |
| 18.vii.97 | J.T.L., 35 | Stables in New King's Road, Ful-ham | Fulham Infirmary | Headache, difficulty of breathing, swelling on forehead. Day before death glanders diagnosed | Examination of pus from swelling on forehead made nature of disease apparent | Had been in attendance on glandered horses. During July nine horses were condemned at the premises at which J.T.L. worked. |
| 17.vi.98 | T.B., 18 | Costermonger, Bag- ley's-lane Fulham | St. George's Hospital | Abscess in head. Pustules on body. Fever. Nature of disease not recognised before death | Diagnosis made on evidence found at the post mortem examination | On May 9th two animals, which had been stabled with deceased spony, were condemned as being glandered. The man's own pony showed no sign of disease. |
| 6.viii.98 | G.H., 32 | Carman, Wandsworth | St. Thomas' Hospital | Ill three years. Breaking out on arms seven months. At close of illness pustules broke out over body | Diagnosis only made after death. During life it was believed he had typhoid fever | A horse in the stable at which he worked was condemned as being glandered on 6.viii.95. |
| 21.iii.99 | E.V.N., 25 | Carman, Camden Town | London Temperance Hospital | Cold and congestion of lungs. Later a rash appeared | Diagnosis only made after death | In Norwich until February, attended a sick horse when there. No evidence of contact with glandered |
| 10.viii.00 | W.M., 45 | Cab proprietor, Fitzroy-mews | Guy's Hospital • | Swellings in arms and legs and high fever | Subcutaneous swellings, furuncles, small abscess in forearm. Fluid in knee joint | horses subsequent to arrival in London. Glanders existed in W.M.'s stud of 54 horses at Fitzroy- mews at time of his death. Nine animals in all were killed. |
| ll.x.00 | G.B., - | Carman, Rygate-street, E. | London Hospital | At first supposed to have "influenza," and then to have typhoid fever | Admitted to hospital with pyrexia and multiple abscesses. Death on third day. B. mallei found | Pure growth of B. mallei obtained from pus from abscesses. Orchitis produced, by loopful of this growth, in guinea pig. See cntlbl. fur Bakt, Orig. Bd. xxxix. 1. Paper by Drs. Bulloch and Twort. |
| (a)31.x.00 | J.A., - | Stable in Kensal-road | - | At first supposed to have plague and then to have glanders | The case proved to be one of scleroderma | - |
| 7.i.01 | H.S., 25 | Horsekeeper, Hackney | Westminster Hospital | Intramuscular abscesses in right arm and leg | Typical cultures were obtained from the pus, and these inoculated into g.p.'s | The man was discharged well. The horses he had charge of were healthy. This is Case III. in Bern stein and Carling's paper (1909). |
| 23.i.01 | W.W.D., 38 | Horsekeeper, Hammersmith | Fulham Infirmary | Pains and swellings in various parts of body. Diagnosed after death "chronic glanders " | gave positive characteristic reactions Lungs were saved for examination, but were too decomposed to be used | No evidence of contact with glandered horses. |
| 12.i.02 21.ii.02 | J.R. 47 G.C., - | Employed in stable at Norwood Coachman | Croydon Infirmary Royal Chest Hospital | Swelling on inside of leg and on head | Death was certified to be due to "pyæmia" | The horse he had tended died on 23.xii.01 from glanders. |
| 22.viii.02 | R.N., 46 | At coal merchants, Bow | Poplar Sick Asylum | Admitted with "lumbago" 7th June, discharged himself, re-admitted on 11th and died on 17th August. Discharge from right nostril | Lungs infiltrated. Lymphatic glands enlarged. Larynx and pharynx hæmorrhagic spots. B. mallei cultivated | No evidence that the horses he tended had glanders. |
| 10.V.03 | C.F., 34 | Organ grinder, Pim-lico | St. George's Infirmary | "Influenza" and later sore on forehead (three days before death) | Nodules in lungs. Pus on surface of brain. Intramuscular abscesses | Kept his organ in empty stable in mews. Several glandered horses removed from within a short distance and one from adjoining stable. |
| 30.V.03 | A.D., 31 | Packer, Waltham- stow | London Hospital | Chronic pyæmia, multiple abscesses | B. mallei isolated from abscess. Inoculation gave positive result, g.p. died on third day | The man was discharged well. See paper by Drs. Bulloch and Twort referred to above. |
| Three other chronic cases are mentioned in Drs. Bulloch and Twort's paper as having been treated at London Hospital between 1900 and 1903 A.F. had abscesses of thighs lasting for months. F.R. (23) a carman, was ill many months. Intramuscular abscesses. Another carman suffered similarly from chronic pyæmia | In all three cases the bacillus mallei was isolated by Drs. Bulloch and Twort. | |||||
| 31.X.03 | C.P., 55 | Printer, Bethnal Green | Eastern Hospital | Admitted as enteric fever. Intramuscular abscesses developed | B. mallei was isolated | No evidence of contact with glandered horses. See Vet. Record 2.ix.05. Paper by Dr. Goodall. |
| 3.ii.04 | H.B., 51 | Tram conductor. Leytonstone | London Hospital | Ill three weeks, shivering and fever. Pustules on arms, legs and forehead. Erythematous rash. Death two days after admission | Farcy nodules in skin. Acute glanders nodules diffused throughout the lungs. B. mallei isolated | See paper by Drs. Bulloch and Twort referred to above. No evidence of contact with glandered horses. |
| 6.V.04 | S.S., 30 | Tram driver, Clapton | Hackney Infirmary | Intramuscular abscesses (thigh and chest wall) | No nodules in lungs. No ulcerations of trachea or of septum nasi | No evidence of contact with glandered horses. Inquest verdict left nature of disease open to doubt. |
| 25.viii.04 | D.O'C., 28 | Farrier, Shoreditch | Shoreditch Infirmary | Supposed to have septicæmia. Dr. Bryett suspected case was one of farcy | B. mallei found | Had been in contact with glandered horse seven or eight weeks prior to illness. |
| 14.xi.04 | H.A.L., 24 | Horsekeeper, Great Ormond-yard : | Westminster Hospital | On 31.X.04 fell and bruised ribs. Two days later "alveolar abscess." Pustular eruption. Sores on mouth. Nasal discharge | Diffuse browny dark purplish swelling of face and neck. Pustular eruption. Multiple subcutaneous and intramuscular nodules. B. mallei found | Stud of 130 horses was tested and 20 reacted to mallein and were slaughtered. This is Case I. in Bernstein and Carling's paper (1909). |
| l.iii.05 | W.H., 33 | Ostler, Limehouse | Eastern Hospital... | Thought to have enteric fever. Swelling knee joint and forearm | B. mallei isolated | Patient recovered. Last case of glanders reported from stables 15.iii.04. |
| 16.V.05 | G.C.N., 52 | Horsekeeper, Fulham | St. George's Hospital | Believed to be pleurisy, then rheumatic fever, then septicaemia. Pustules developed. Glanders diagnosed day before death | B. mallei found in pus | Bitten by a horse on hand in January, 05. Stud was badly glandered. |
| 3.vi.05 | E.A.C., 44 (female) | Wife of carman, Fulham | St. George's Hospital | Three weeks' pain in knee and side. Pyrexia. Indurated patches and vesicles on skin | B. mallei isolated. No nodules in lungs | "Passionately fond of horses." One of her husband's horses was glandered. She lived in mews. |
| 1l.viii.05 | A.A., 45 | Horsekeeper, Lambeth | Westminster Hospital | Seven weeks' headache, muscular pains. Two weeks' swellings in left leg and forearm | Intramuscular abscesses. B. mallei found. Dark hæmorrhagic firm areas in lungs | No clear evidence of contact with glandered horses. This is Case II. in Bernstein and Carling's paper (1909). See also Lond. Vet. Record 19.viii.05. |
| 19.viii.05 | A.B., 22 | Carman | Westminster Hospital | First seen May, 1904. Then ill nine months. Erosion of oral and nasal pharynx. Mercury and iodides prescribed | Lower jaw extensively necrosed, central portion of tongue sloughed. B. mallei found. Lungs clear | Mallein reaction obtained January, 05. Death in Lambeth Infirmary. This is Case V. in Bernstein and Carling's paper (1909). |