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In this case the oysters in question came from the neighbourhood of
Whitstable. A sample, stated to have been derived from the same source as
those suspected, was submitted to Dr. Klein, who reported thereon as
under:—
“ 7 th December, 1908.
“ Oysters. No. 2. Received 30th November, 1908.—Six oysters received. Treated
“ in the same manner as those in the previous case. (Oysters, Sample No. 1) gave
“ the following results :—
“ 16 B. coli per oyster. No B. Gaertner. No B. typhosus.“
This evidence was sufficient to show that there was no causal relation
between the oysters and the disease.
During December, 1908, the Medical Officers of Health of the Boroughs of
Southwark, Paddington and Wandsworth respectively, were engaged in
enquiries with regard to cases of enteric fever, when in each instance oysters
supplied by a particular firm in the City were suspected.
This dealer first came under my notice in June, 1903, when oysters sold by
him were found to be polluted, and an order made at the Mansion House for
their destruction. In November, 1906, in investigating a case of enteric
fever at Walthamstow he was found selling “ oysters from his own beds,“
which proved to be highly polluted. Dutch oysters sold by him at that time
were found to be grossly polluted.
On the 8th December, 1906, he gave an undertaking to discontinue selling
oysters from certain places until permitted to do so by the Fishmongers'
Company, and on the 11th of that month it was ascertained that he had in
the past purchased supplies from a company that had been in the habit of
washing their oysters in a polluted pit.
It was exceedingly difficult to secure any direct evidence with regard to
where this man had purchased his supplies in the case brought to my notice
in December last, as little or no reliance could be placed upon his statements.
A sample taken at his shop in the City by an Inspector on the 15th December
was stated by him in the forenoon to have come “ from their own beds,“ while
in the afternoon he said they came from Holland. Dr. Klein's report on this
sample was as under :—
“ 21s£ December, 1908.
“ Oysters. No. 3. Received 15th December.—The analysis of these oysters was
“ made with ten oysters ; after draining the liquor, the bodies of these were finely
“ minced, the resulting turbid fluid was used for cultures, with a view (a) of
“ testing the condition of the oysters as to pollution in general, and (b) as to
“ specific pollution with either the B. typhosus or with microbes belonging to the
“ Gaertner-Paratyphoid group.