View report page

134
SHELLFISH AND ENTERIC FEVER.
During the month of December last the danger to the public from eating
shellfish from sources contaminated with sewage was exemplified by two
distinct outbreaks, one caused by cockles, and the other by oysters. The
following Report on the circumstances was laid before your Sanitary Committee
by your Medical Officer of Health on the 27th January last:—
COCKLES.
On the 5th December Dr. P. Caldwell Smith, Medical Officer of Health for
the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth, informed your Medical Officer
that four cases of Enteric Fever had occurred among persons resident in
Clapham, and that in each instance there was strong evidence that the disease
was caused by eating cockles bought in the City.
The disease was of a markedly virulent type; three cases occurred in one
family, two probably from direct and one from indirect infection.
In three of the cases the disease appeared almost exactly fourteen days after
the ingestion of cockles from a known source; in the fourth the interval
was twenty-five days.
Of the first three cases reported, unfortunately two proved fatal.
Upon enquiry it was found that the cockles in question had come from
Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, and that they were sold by a Leigh dealer, P., who,
every Saturday, with others, sold cockles at the entrance to Nicholson's Wharf,
in the neighbourhood of Billingsgate Market.
On the following morning (Saturday, 6th December) a sample of cockles
marked No. 1 was purchased from P., and submitted to Professor Klein for
bacteriological examination.
Pending Professor Klein's report, and as the result of some enquiries made
at Leigh as to the mode in which the trade in cockles is conducted, samples
marked No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 were purchased on the following Saturday
(13th December) from different dealers at Nicholson's Wharf and submitted
for examination. The co-operation of Dr. Douglas Watson, Medical Officer
of Health, was invited, and on the 15th December he kindly forwarded
samples of cockles taken before and after cooking at Leigh. These were
marked No. 5 and No. 6 respectively.
On Saturday, 20th December, a further sample (No. 7) of cockles was
purchased from P. at Nicholson's Wharf and submitted to Professor Klein.
The following reports were received from Professor Klein on the 19th
December:—