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2nd, ill, and went into the Hackney Infirmary on October 3rd. There
appears to have been a good deal of sickness amongst the hop-pickers
forming the party to which Mrs. H. belonged. The water supply
for the hop-pickers is said to have been obtained from a "running
stream." She was poorly towards the latter end of September
and gradually became worse. Mrs. H. was certified to have enteric
fever on October 7th, and died on October 15th.
(2). On the admission of the above patient to the Infirmary, her baby, aged
one year and seven months, was taken in by a relative, the mother of
George E., at 33, W Place. The baby was with her at 33, W
Place, for two or three weeks and all the time was ill with feverishness
diarrhoea and sickness. It was subsequently removed by its father
whose address could not be found.
(3). George E., aged 15, of 33, W Place, lived and slept in the
same room as the baby above mentioned. He was taken ill about
October 30th, and was certified to have enteric fever on November 7th.
It should be mentioned that George E. formed one of the same party of
hop-pickers as Mrs. H., coming back to London on October 2nd. The
interval of nearly a month after his return before the onset of symptoms
renders it extremely unlikely that he was infected whilst at Yalding.
(4). Maurice M., aged 14, of 79, P Street, was first noticed to be ill on
November 7th, but it is possible that he may have been ailing for a few
days before. He took to his bed on November 11th, and his case was
certified to be one of enteric fever on November 18th. This patient was
a brother of Mrs. H., and a playmate of George E., and was in the habit
of going in and out at No. 33, W Place, and being in the room in
which Mrs. H.'s sick infant was. He is said not to have seen Mrs. H.
whilst she was ill. This lad was hop-picking at Farleigh, a considerable
distance from where Mrs. H.'s party were, and was not brought in
contact with them. He returned to London on October 1st.
(5). Julia O'C., aged three, of 33, W Place, was taken ill about November
8th, and gradually becoming worse, was taken to St. Bartholomew's
Hospital on November 17th, and was certified to be suffering from enteric
fever on November 19th. This child was in no way related to the other
families, but was, prior to her illness, very frequently in the rooms
occupied by the family of George E. None of the members of the
family to which Julia O'C. belonged had been hop-picking.
With respect to the above cases, it is to be mentioned that the people were very
poor, and the conditions under which they lived were favourable to the spread of the
infection of a disease like enteric fever. Case (1) contracted infection not long after
she commenced hop-picking, that is to say early in September. Case (2) although