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the request that I should be acquainted at the earliest
possible moment of any case that might come under his
notice.
On the 15th March, Dr. Findlay asked me to see with
him a child who he suspected as suffering from the disease.
This I did, and confirmed his opinion. The case terminated
fatally the same night after less than 24 hours illness. The
body was removed to the mortuary and the disinfection of
the bedding, room, and premises carried out before the
morning.
The Local Government Board suggested that a post
mortem examination should be made, and requested that a
portion of the spinal cord and cerebro spinal fluid be forwarded
for examination by the Board's bacteriologist.
Accordingly, with the parents consent, a post mortem was
made by Dr. Findlay and myself, the case being undoubtedly
one of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis.
A detailed report of the examination was subsequently
sent to the Local Government Board, and a few days after
a communication was received in return stating that the
bacteriological examination of the material sent confirmed
the diagnosis.
Typhoid Fever.—Fifteen persons were notified as suffering
from this disease, nine in South Wimbledon and six in North
Wimbledon; two occurring in each of the months of January
and February, one in June, two in both July and August,
one in September, three in October and two in November.
The attack rate is 2 and the death rate 01 per thousand
inhabitants, the case mortality being 6 per cent.
Two of the patients contracted the illness in Cuba and
Italy respectively, being ill when they returned home ; five
were attributed to the eating of oysters and other shell fish
when away from Wimbledon or on holidays, and from one
of these three other persons in the same house contracted the
disease, one terminating fatally; one case developed the
disease after removal to the Hospital with Scarlet Fever.
In one instance the drains of the house were extremely
defective, and at another the interior of the house and all
its sanitary fittings, sinks and gullies, etc., were in a most
neglected and filthy condition ; at two other premises no
insanitary conditions were found or anything to which the
cause of the illness could be attributed; whilst one person
after a short detention in the Hospital was returned as " not
Enteric Fever."
At the house where the four cases occurred, when the
first patient was notified removal to the Isolation Hospital
was not desired by the parents and when the others occurred
it was not possible to do so owing to the Enteric Fever
Ward being used for Scarlet Fever, therefore one of the
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