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31
H.M. ... ailed on November 27th.
G. G. ” „ December 5th.
R. E. „ „ „ 14th.
*C. E. „ „ „ 15th.
C. F. ” January 11th.
W. E. „ „ „ 27th.
* This boy bad been in Hospital for six weeks with ear disease, and was in all
probability infected there.
In the opinion of the Medical Officer of the ship all these cases were
genuine Typhoid Fever, several of them having a large crop of definite
”rose-coloured" spots.
Between October 30th and December 14th there were three boys suffering
from prolonged Diarrhoea, but in neither case was there any rise of temperature,
and in one boy who died the post-mortem examination revealed the
cause of death as due to Tubercular Peritonitis.
To sum up, this small outbreak, consisting of several consecutive cases, is
obviously not due to water or milk, or there would have been several boys
infected at the same time, and Enteric Fever would probably have occurred
amongst the families on shore supplied with milk from the same source,
whilst the analysis of drinking water would probably have shown some
evidence of organic pollution.
All the sewage is discharged overboard, and there is no connection with any
sewer, and the closets, &c., are kept clean and in good order.
No shellfish appear to have been obtainable in the neighbourhood, and
although boys are stated to have eaten food stuffs picked out of the River,
these boys cannot be identified with those taken ill with Enteric Fever,
although it is possible that they might have been infected from this source.
There was no Enteric Fever existing in the vicinity, and the boys were not
allowed ashore.
We have, therefore, the following facts to reason from.
E. B., after ailing with Enteric Fever for one month, was allowed to return
to the ship.
It is well established that patients, even when convalescent from Enteric
Fever, may retain the poison for many months afterwards either in their urine
or intestinal tract, and a slight soiling of the blankets of E. B. would
constitute them a potential source of infection.