On a localised outbreak of typhoid fever in Islington, during the months of July and August, 1870, traced to the use of impure milk / by Edward Ballard.

  • Edward Ballard
Date:
1871
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On a localised outbreak of typhoid fever in Islington, during the months of July and August, 1870, traced to the use of impure milk / by Edward Ballard. 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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    diet, and the lad seemed to improve but slowly until the 20th, when the diarrhoea, which had almost subsided, recommenced. He became delirious, and after four days died on July 25. There were no cases in the vicinity of his mother’s house.” If it be considered that the typhoid was only incubating up to July 7 or 8, and that the fever is be dated from one of these days, then this was not the first case among the consumers of the milk. The first case in the series would then be that of a young woman, aged twenty-one, who lived one hundred yards from the dairy, who had nothing to take her to either of the dairy premises, but who habitually got the milk. She was taken ill on July 3, and died on July 19. Three other families at least, customers of the dairy, would thus also have been invaded prior to the dairyman’s household. This would again tend to strengthen the views I have adopted. B. The following notes, kindly furnished me by Dr. Moxon, of the cases in a family he attended, will illustrate some of the varieties observed. “The first was (a young lady), set. about twenty- two, taken ill July 19-20 (ailing on 19th, ill on 20th); delirious on 24th, maniacally delirious on 25th; a very copious rose-spot eruption on 25th-26th ; mental oddness thi'ougliout, with refusal of food and drink for many days. Pulse up to 138, and at times reaching 148 (she has severe mitral regurgitation); a decided change for the better on 15th day, and then a slow but unbroken convales- cence, now complete. During the illness, the bowels were generally costive or natural; two loose motions on one day (the 12th). From the 4th to the 15th day she passed everything under her. No meteorism or abdominal tenderness or pain ; no thoracic symptoms. Prevailing temperature moderate. “ 2nd. (a young lady), mt. nineteen. Was low and fretful for five days ; then on July 31 decidedly ill and took to her bed, with pyrexia (foul tongue marked, among the other factors of this state, more than the rest). The nervous system is naturally first-rate ; she never showed the least delirium-, but was otherwise as ill as her sister. She was annoyed with vomiting, which was severe on 7th, 8th, and 9th days. On 7th day, a dull, measly, clouded state of the sur- face appeared, which passed off on the 8th, and then there were eight rose spots, which had gone on 10th, and no more came. Abdomen perfectly natural in character throughout; but costiveness prevailed,
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