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61. The following are the cases notified in each parish
during the past six years. It is satisfactory to be able to report
for the first time that Eltham was exceptionally free from Enteric.
Average 1901-5.
1906.
Woolwich
12.6
16
Plumstead
21.2
21
Eltham
8.6
3
62. In one case the disease was attributed to oysters; in two
to cockles from Leigh; two, mussels; one, lobster; one, prawns,
six to fried fish; one to celery ; four cases were contracted at
Herne Bay, Broughty Ferry, Whitehaven, and Pegwell Bay,
respectively, and seven were secondary cases, i.e. contracted from
a previous case in the family. One patient was a fishmonger, but
he was not known to have eaten any of his goods. Another fishmonger
supplied two of the cases attributed to fried fish ; he had
recently had enteric fever; two cases outside the Borough who
bought fried fish from him had enteric about the same time.
This is suggestive as showing how fried fish may convey the
infection of enteric, viz.: by the hands of the shopman, contaminated
either by his own excreta or by infected shell-fish.
63. Bacteriological Diagnosis. Twenty samples of blood
were sent to the Lister Institute to be examined for Widal's
reaction. A positive result was obtained in eleven.
Diarrhœor zymotic Enteritis.
64. The deaths from diarrhoea, dysentery, and epidemic or
zymotic enteritis were 103, or 0.81 per 1000 population, compared
with 0.82, 0.48, 0.36, 119, and 0.52 in the five preceding years.
The rate for the 76 great towns was 1.16 and for London 0.95.
There were, in addition, 18 deaths from enteritis and gastroenteritis,
making a total of 121 deaths (or 34 per 1000 births),
due to diarrhœal diseases. 93 of the 121 were under one year
of age.