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far as could be ascertained no cases were reported in which corned beef, salt beef or
sardines were believed to have given rise to illness in the neighbourhoods of the houses
in Shoreditch and Stepney other than the cases mentioned. It will be noted that
whilst the corned beef and salt beef are stated to have been consumed by the family
in Shoreditch, none seems to have been eaten by that in Stepney. On the other
hand, whilst sardines were eaten by the Stepney family, they had none in the Shoreditch
household. The article of food which was consumed in common by the two
families was the chicken broth. Altogether 8 in Stepney and 6 in Shoreditch had
this broth, and of these, 6 amongst the former and 3 of the latter fell ill, i.e., nine
of the fourteen persons who had the broth were affected. Unfortunately none of
the broth was left and no examination was made, nor was any examination possible
of the corned beef and the salt beef. The empty sardine tin was subjected to examination,
but the result was negative. The death of Sarah F—was reported to the
Coroner, who ordered a post mortem examination of her body. This was made by
Dr. Feldman at St. Teonard's Hospital on September 2nd. The stomach and its
contents, and pieces of liver, spleen, kidney and small intestine were with due precaution
transmitted to Dr. Bruce White, Pathology Laboratory, University of Bristol.
It was noted at the post mortem that the liver and kidneys were fatty. The liver
weighed about 90 ounces and the heart 13½. There was a good deal of fat about the
body. The Ministry of Health were notified of the case over the telephone on
September 2nd. The specimens for examination were sent to Bristol at the suggestion
of the Ministry pursuant to arrangements made with the Medical Research Council
under which bacteriological investigations in the elucidation of food poisoning
outbreaks are to be carried out at Bristol by Dr. Bruce White, the object being to
co-ordinate the bacteriological work connected with these outbreaks under one
bacteriologist. Specimens of the blood and faces of some of the persons attacked
with the illness, both in Stepney and Shoreditch, were also sent to the bacteriologist.
The reports of the bacteriologist show that cultures of an organism isolated from
the small intestine, spleen and stomach contents on examination were found to belong
to the most frequent food poisoning group, viz., Bacillus Aertrycke (type mutton),
and samples of blood from members of the Stepney family who had been ill powerfully
agglutinated the above-mentioned organism isolated from the organs of Sarah F—.
The bacillus named was found in connection with an outbreak of food poisoning
in 1898 at Aertrycke in Belgium—hence the name. It is allied to the Gaertner
bacillus. Bacilli of this type have since been isolated in a number of food poisoning
outbreaks. Bacillus Aertrycke is apparently identical with Bacillus Suipestifer, the
microbe associated with swine fever. There are several types of Bacillus Aertrycke,
but the one most frequently met with in food poisoning outbreaks is the mutton
type mentioned above, which was isolated in a food poisoning outbreak due to mutton
at Newcastle in 1911.
To briefly summarise the results of the investigations made:—Fourteen persons,
of whom four were children under 12 years of age, belonging to the two households
partook of chicken broth made on August 25th, one family on the same day the broth