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38
Plaice is practically the only fish used by vendors of fried fish
which is not gutted, as a matter of course, at sea. The nature of
the food (shell fish, etc.), of the plaice makes it possible to retain the
gut without injuring the fish; whereas the character of the intestinal
contents of fish consuming "softer" food necessitates removal of
the gut forthwith.
It is a suggestive fact that in the instances last summer, in
which several members of one family were simultaneously attacked
by typhoid fever, there was, generally speaking, a history of the
consumption by all the sufferers in each family of small plaice
or "dabs.'' In dealing with small "dabs" which are sold at
times, when there are "heavy quantities" available at ½d. a
pound, or say 3 or 4 a penny, cleansing is doubtless often left to
be carried out by the purchaser, if performed at all.
In one instance the source of infection was undoubtedly a
"carrier'' in the same family, who some months previously had
suffered from an attack of typhoid fever. (It may be explained
that a "carrier" of typhoid fever is a person, who, although he
may be in good health, carries the infectious material of the
fever in his body, from which it may be given off in the stools
or in the urine). The case was notified in March, 1910. He
had not partaken of any article of food, such as shell fish,
usually associated with contamination by the Typhoid bacilli.
The milk was above suspicion, and all his meals had been taken
in Acton. In July, 1909, the mother of the patient contracted
Typhoid Fever, and was in the West London Hospital for ten
weeks. During her stay at the Hospital she had an attack of
gall stone colic. Four years previously, she also had an attack
of gall stone colic. In January or February she suffered from a
slight attack of diarrhcea. The circumstances warranted the
suspicion that the mother was a typhoid carrier, and specimens
of her dejecta were bacteriologically examined. A pure culture
of the typhoid bacillus was obtained from the faces and urine,
showing, that though she had been discharged from the Hospital
for nearly six months, she was still capable of spreading infection.