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115
Cases of mussel poisoning are common during the mussel season, the
symptoms of the disease being disturbances of the gastro-intestinal and
peripheral nervous systems. There is also very strong evidence that they
may be an active agent in the spread of enteric fever.
Dr. Bulstrode, in his valuable and exhaustive Report to the Local Government
Board in 1896, quotes several instances where mussels have come under
suspicion as having conveyed enteric fever.
Recently (July, 1906), Dr. Robertson, Medical Officer of Health for
Birmingham, has published a list of 74 cases coming under his notice where
there appeared to be some connection between the consumption of mussels and
disease. In 62 of these cases the onset of the disease occurred daring the
height of the mussel season. In two notable instances mussels were eaten
raw, and in each of these the consumer was attacked with typhoid fever.
OYSTERS.
A case of enteric fever in which oysters were supposed to be implicated
was reported on the 30th November. The patient was attacked with
the disease on the 16th November. He had attended public dinners
in the City both on the 28th October and the 9th November, and it is
believed partook of oysters on each occasion.
If oysters were the cause of the illness the patient most likely became
infected on the earlier of these dates, viz., 28th October. A sample of the
oysters supplied was procured and submitted to Dr. Klein, who reported as
follows:—
“7th December, 1908.
“Re Oysters No. 1. Received November 30th.—These were analysed with a view
“to detecting microbes belonging to the Gaertner group.
“Six oysters received. After draining the liquor the bodies of these oysters
“were received in sterile dish and finely minced. The fluid resulting from these
“six bodies amounted to about 16 c.c. The fluid was turbid, and 1/10 c.c. was used
“for each of the following cultures, viz.: two large plates with Drigalski-Conradi
“medium, and two tubes of Malachite green bile salt broth.
“ The results o£ those cultures and numerous sub-cultures was as follows:—
“ No B. Coli. No B. Gaertner, and No B. typhosus."
These results show that, assuming the sample examined was derived from
the same source as those eaten by the patient on the 28th October, the oysters
in question were not connected with the illness.
A case of enteric fever, attributed to the consumption of oysters at a City
luncheon-bar, was reported from Wood Green on the 27th November, 1908.