Special report on the outbreak of typhoid fever in Southend during June and July, 1902 / by J.T.C. Nash.

  • Nash, James Thomas Charles, 1865-
Date:
1902
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Special report on the outbreak of typhoid fever in Southend during June and July, 1902 / by J.T.C. Nash. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Under a heading “ Shell-fish ” he says, “ Out of the large number (105) of cases I can only trace two.” It is recorded that out of 62 infected houses in 1895, 27 had no discoverable sanitary defect. In 1896, 43 out of 71 infected houses also had no discoverable sanitary defect. In this year 95 cases of Typhoid Fever were recorded; 13 of these were secondary cases. The Medical Officer of Health reiterates his opinion that enteric fever in the Borough is largely due to pollution of the soil. Bacteriological investigations were made with four samples of soil by Dr. Dyer. In one of these a bacillus was found “ indistinguish- able by a known test from the typhoid bacillus.” All four samples contained the bacillus coli communis. Dr. Bruce Low, on behalf of the Local Government Board, reported on the matter in July, 1896. He agreed with the Medical Officer of Health as to the endemic prevalence and seasonal development of enteric Fever at Southend being due to sustained befoulment of the superficial soil. He further quoted Ballard’s observations on the relationship between organically-polluted soil and diarrhoeal diseases, particularly when combined with the raising of the ground temperature above a certain point. He thought that the apparent excess of reputed cases in Southend, as compared with other towns similarly circum- stanced as to defective drains and sewers, was due to the fact that mild and anomalous cases had been notified as enteric fever to an extent not, perhaps, elsewhere practised. The M.O.H., reporting on 63 cases of Typhoid Fever which occurred in 1897, states that five were secondary, and, as regards shellfish, he writes ;—“ In only one case could the cause be traced to shellfish, and then not definitely.” He still ascribes the majority to defective drains and soil pollution. However, in his report for 1898, the above statement is qualified as follows:—“In 1897, although several persons notified had eaten shellfish, in only one could the cause be traced to oysters.” (The italics are mine.) In 1898, out of 95 cases originating in the Borough, nine are reported as secondary, while twelve are stated to have eaten shell- fish. In 1899, 57 cases were notified. Out of 37 infected houses