View report page

WHELK POISONING.
On 27th December I received a communication from the
Police to the effect that they had been called on the previous evening
to 65, Hibbert Road, on account of certain persons suspected to be
suffering from symptoms of poisoning following the consumption
of whelks.
On visiting the house I found that a Mr. and Mrs. " S.," who
resided there, had had a numerous gathering of relatives to spend
the day with them.
The whole family party, amounting to 27 individuals, had all
partaken during the day of the same articles of food.
»
In the evening two or three members of the family went out.
and purchased some whelks at a stall near the " Bakers' Arms."
Nine members of the family partook of the whelks, and within
about an hour after so doing were taken ill one after the other, with
certain symptoms of illness, the most prominent features of which
were giddiness and visual disturbances; also one or two of the
younger affected members developed rashes. The illness was limited
strictly to those who had eaten the whelks, all the others escaping.
As soon as the symptoms of illness appeared the people,
suspecting poisoning, sent for the police and a doctor.
Emetics and purgatives, &c., were promptly administered.
When I called (about 18 hours after the first signs of illness had
occurred) most of those who had been affected had recovered and
the others were much better; no fatality occurred.