View report page

87
(c) Psittacosis.—I have dealt elsewhere with psittacosis as a
public health problem (see page 18) and have shown how easily it
is dealt with. It remains for me here to say a few words on the
general characteristics of the disease as we met with it in Barking.
Taking one case as representative of the whole, I may say that
on January 10th, 1930, the parrot was bought at Spitalfields
Market. The parrot appeared to be ailing and was looked after
with commendable humanity until it died on January 21st. The
patient, aged 30 years, first felt ill on January 23rd, and first
consulted medical opinion on January 25th, on which date
another member of the same family first felt ill. Both the first
and the second patients were removed to the London Hospital on
January 28th.
On January 25th, it was obvious that the girl was ill. There
was a temperature of 101.6 and a pulse of 108; there was an
intractable headache of the forehead, which did not radiate elsewhere;
there was an intense fear of light; there was vomiting;
the respirations were about 24; the heart showed no signs of
disease other than those associated with the high temperature;
the lung gave an ordinary note all over on being percussed, but
with the stethoscope very fine signs of moisture could be heard
over the lower parts of the lungs and the hila. The patient was
on this day lying in bed in a semi-unconscious condition, from
which it was difficult to arouse her.
During the time the patient was in Barking the condition was
progressive, the temperature became higher, the vomiting continued
and the catarrh of the chest became more serious, so that on January
27th, the temperature was 103.8 and the pulse 120. The patient was
clammy, hot and perspiring and the general conditions of the lung
were those of a diffuse pneumonia.
On January 28th, this patient was removed to the London
Hospital, where I understand the condition remained unfortunately
very much as when she left Barking, and the patient
died on February 2nd.