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47
In 3 cases the blood of the patient agglutinated the Bacillus
para-typhosus "B'' in high dilutions, and in one case the blood
agglutinated Bacillus typhosus and also the Bacillus para-typhosus
"B" in all dilutions used.
In the case which proved fatal several blood tests gave negative
results, the clinical symptoms of typhoid fever were, however,
very pronounced.
Source of Infection.—Two of the cases were associated with
an outbreak of Paratyphoid Fever which occurred in the neighbouring
Districts of Croydon and Lewisham. There were a considerable
number of cases at the time in Croydon, and Dr. Newsholme,
the Medical Officer of Health of Croydon, wrote to me at an
early stage in the outbreak that he suspected the disease to be due
to infected pastry supplied by a particular firm of bakers.
He subsequently confirmed these suspicions by being able to
demonstrate that a pastry cook employed by the firm had suffered
from an unrecognised attack of Paratyphoid Fever, and that he
continued at work while so suffering.
The two patients above mentioned had eaten confectionery
obtained from this firm during the incubation period.
Of the remaining three cases, one probably contracted the
disease outside the District. He was a man aged 20, employed as
a kitchen hand on a boat that plied between London and Ramsgate.
The patient had all his meals on board, and only slept in Beckenham.
A steward on the boat was removed to hospital about the same
time suffering from "ptomaine poisoning."
In the remaining two cases, which were notified in January and
February respectively, the source of infection could not be traced
Other Infectious Diseases.—The following table gives the
number of cases of other infectious diseases that were notified or