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64
onset of nine of the cases was stated to be during
February and in nearly all instances the milk was
either boiled or pasteurised, and the water supply was
derived from the South Essex Waterworks Company.
There was no evidence to support a view that the water
supply was in any way attributable.
One patient drank water from a stream in an
outlying district. At the request of the Medical Officer
of Health the local Medical Officer concerned immediately
investigated this stream and it was found
that there was no sewage effluent or suspected water
passing into this stream at or above the point from
which the water was taken.
The ages of the patients varied between 3½ and 29
years, there being ten females and five males. Five
of the cases only were above school age. In no instance
was there a case of more than one patient at one
address.
As in former years, a careful watch was kept on all
the contacts and instructions given with regard to
precautions to be taken by the remaining members of
the families.
Sonne Dysentery.
One case was notified, a male aged 21 years, who
unfortunately died about four weeks after the date of
onset. This patient took all his meals at cafes and
restaurants ; it was not possible therefore, to trace the
disease to any particular commodity of food.
During the year there was an extensive outbreak
of Sonne Dysentery in the County of Essex and elsewhere
: it was, with few exceptions, of an exceedingly
mild nature and fatalities were rare. Dagenham
appeared to have escaped the epidemic with the one
exception cited above.