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between infection and commencement of illness. Five had
taken celery shortly before the illness, one was a greengrocer's
boy and one was a gardener who visited Stratford Market daily.
Three of the remaining patients were people of markedly dirty
habits.
41. In five cases some defects were found in the drainage
by means of the smoke machine, which was used at all the
houses implicated; 8 houses were found dirty.
42. To summarize there were 35 primary cases of which 18
may probably have been due to celery or shell fish or other
food imperfectly cooked.
There was no reason to suspect the milk supply, and the
distribution of the houses negatives the idea that drainage was
in any way a common cause of the disease.
43. I am thus unable to give a satisfactory explanation of
the increase of enteric fever; but it appears that an unusually
large proportion of the cases are attributable to imperfectly
cooked food, which like shell fish and celery are known to be
very liable to convey the Infection. It is possible that the
return of soldiers convalescent with enteric, from South Africa
to country and seaside places, may account for increased
infectiousness of these articles of diet.
44. A specimen of blood was examined bacteriologically for
Widal's reaction by the Jenner Institute in 19 cases, and a
positive result obtained in 12, i.e., 12 out of 19 doubtful cases
were found to be enteric.
In 1899 four cases were examined with three positive results.
Erysipelas.
45. There were 73 cases of Erysipelas, compared with 54
and 64 in the two preceding years. From Table V. it appears