[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ] page 33

City of London 1903

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]

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Table: Examination of Oysters submitted by the Corporation of London to Dr. Klein, 1903.

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Examination of Oysters submitted by the Corporation of London to Dr. Klein, 1903.

No. of Sample.	Date when procured.	Whence procured.	Source of origin.	Dr. Klein's Report.
la	1903. 3rd Dec.	Monument Street	Large American (Blue Points) not re-laid.	Three oysters contained bacillus coli communis in numbers. One oyster contained some bacillus coli. The Drigalski plate made with three drops of the liquor and juice showed four colonies of the appearance of bacillus typhosus. Tested for agglutination with typhoid serum, clumping was distinct and decisive. The colonies consist of bacilli, which, in respect of size and mobility, resembled bacillus typhosus. Gelatine subcultures produced growth, which resembled that of bacillus typhosus. Subsequent experiments showed that in morphological and cultural respects, and in respect of agglutination with typhoid serum, no difference can be detected between the microbes of further cultivations and the bacillus typhosus.
2a	Do.	Do.	South American not re-laid.	Of nine oysters two contained bacillus coli of some sort fairly abundant. No colonies in Drisalski medium resembling bacillus typhosus.
3a	Do.	Do.	Small Dutch not re-laid.	Of nine oysters three had bacillus coli communis in numbers. Two other oysters had some other kind of bacillus coli. The Drigalski plate made with three drops of juice and liquor showed four colonies of the type and aspect of bacillus typhosus, but on subculture it was found that none of them could be considered as those of bacillus typhosus.
4a	Do.	Do.	Burnham	Of nine oysters two bad bacillus coli communis. Drigalski plate negative qua typhoid-like colonies.
5a	Do.	Do. (Supplied to Peckham Fishmonger—Implicated in Hastings case.)	Whitstable Princesses.	Of nine oysters four had bacillus coli communis in numbers. One other oyster had some other kind of bacillus coli. Drigalski plate made with three drops had one typhoid-like colony, but on subculture had to be discarded as bacillus typhosus, as it gave no reaction of agglutination with typhoid serum.
6a	14th Dec.	Billingsgate Buildings (Supplied to Putney Fishmonger— Implicated in case of Charles Wheeler, Putney. Reported from Wandsworth.)	Whitstable, known as "Gann's Princesses."	Four of twelve contained bacillus coli communis in numbers. One other oyster contains some other kind of bacillus coli. Of four oysters specially examined two have streptococci. Of four oysters specially examined two have spores of enteritidis sporogenes. I consider these distinctly sewage-polluted, and unsafe for consumption.
7a	17th Dec.	Monument Street	Burnham	Of eight examined none had bacillus coli communis. One of the eight had some kind of bacillus coli in small numbers, i.e., an acid and gas-producing organism.