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The cases, it will be noted, were spread over a period of something like three
months, and occurred to some extent in groups.
When the first three came to hand the conclusion arrived at as to source of
infection was that A.J.P. had probably contracted the disease as a result of eating contaminated
food, the two most likely articles being shellfish or fish bought ready cooked.
No history of contact with any other case could be obtained. The girls, M.O. and
E.O., were on very friendly terms with the family of A.J.P., and, living close by
were frequently in and out of the house during the considerable time that elapsed
between the date of his attack and his removal to hospital. The conclusion with regard
to them was that they were infected because of their association with A.J.P.
The next case (A.T.) did not appear until four or five weeks later. Enquiries
made at the home elicited no information of any value in arriving at a conclusion.
The mother (J.T.), though enquiries made later revealed the fact that she had
actually suffered from the disease, both at this period and later, when the case of
C.T. was under investigation, alleged that she was and had been quite well, and
could point to no suspicious circumstance in her own or any other family in the house.
The conclusion arrived at, therefore, was that A.T. was probably
infected from one or the other of the first three cases, and that C.T. contracted the
disease from A.T.
W.B., who was notified next, was closely related to A.J.P., who was probably
the source of his infection. E.D., who came later, it was believed was infected by
W.B. and completed the group of cases for which A.J.P., whatever the source of his
infection, was responsible, viz.: M.O., E.O., W.B., and E.D.
T.W.M., a boy of 9, was ill for some time before he was notified.
The notification came from the Workhouse Infirmary, the diagnosis of enteric
fever having been made some time after he had been under observation and
treatment there.
On receipt of this notification further investigations were made. As far as
possible every person who had been in contact with any of the cases was questioned,
bacteriological examinations were made, death returns were scrutinized, and so on.
The result of these investigations was that J.T. was found to have suffered
from enteric fever in an unrecognized form, probably about the time when the first
cases were notified. Further, it was found possible to link her up with the case
R.N., who also had a mild attack, and with A.T. and C.T. (her own children)
and T.W.M., who resided in the same house. It was found, in short, that there
were two groups of cases in the series: one for which A.J.P. seemed to be
responsible and the other which, as already stated, was traceable to J.T.