Mr. Spear's report to the Local Government Board upon a prevalence of typhoid fever locally ascribed to certain slaughter-house premises at New Brighton, near Birkenhead.

  • Spear, John.
Date:
1889
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Mr. Spear's report to the Local Government Board upon a prevalence of typhoid fever locally ascribed to certain slaughter-house premises at New Brighton, near Birkenhead. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    exceptional one the sufferer (a policeman) frequented that part in pursuit of his occupation ; and this was the case also as regards an isolated attack that occurred in another township. It may be said then, that during these two years, 21 attacks, in 18 families, are to be considered in connexion with the subject of fever prevalence in this lower locality. The time of their occurrence was as follows : Jany. Feby. March. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Octr. Novr. Deer. 18SG - _ 1 1887 - - - - 2 1 1 — 2 — — 2 — — — — 1888 - 1 4 4 2 — 1 — Persons of all ages and of both sexes suffered. Nine cases were amongst children under 16, and 12 above that age ; 8 males and 13 females were attacked. As to locality, the following streets were implicated :—Balmoral Road, 5 cases; Egerton Street, 3 cases; Richmond Terrace, 4 cases; Victoria Road, 1 case; Windsor Street, 4 cases; Richmond Street, 1 case; Marine Hotel, 1 case. A policeman, living elsewhere but having his beat in this locality, was attacked, as well as a boy also living elsewhere, but employed in a shop in Victoria Road. The case in Richmond Street was that of a boy employed likewise at the same shop. The closely-covered area about the slaughter-house suffered severely, and there was a small grouping of cases on the south side of Balmoral Road, and another in Victoria Terrace, Egerton Street, but the cases are too few to speak of any marked localization. If the slaughter-house be taken as a central point, in successive areas, each of 50 yards, there is found the following proportion of infected dwellings: — Within a circle of 50 yards radius, 35 houses : 4 family invasions, two attacks in lads employed at a shop within the area, but living elsewhere (including these two, 7 cases). Within a zone of 50-100 yards, 95 houses: 3 family invasions (4 cases), one sufferer was one of the two employed at the shop spoken of above. Within a second zone of 100-150 yards, 158 houses : 6 family invasions (7 cases). Beyond that area (but within the lower locality of New Brighton), 244 houses ; 3 family invasions (3 cases). (The case of the policeman beyond the area designated, is not classified). The history of the cases immediately about the slaughter-house, so far as I have been able to-recover it, is briefly as follows : In January 1887, a woman living at 5, Richmond Terrace, some 13 yards distant from the slaughter¬ house, and a little nearer the lairage, was fatally attacked by the fever. It was a single case in the house, and the family have now removed. A woman who washed the clothing of the deceased contracted the disease, as well as a second woman residing with the one last named. These two sufferers lived in the Balmoral Road, 100 yards from the slaughter-house, or just within the second radius; and in considering all possible causes of their infection, it has to be noted that in December 1886 a case of typhoid had occurred in another house in Balmoral Road. In August 1887, two persons living at No. 6, Richmond Terrace, next door to No. 5, and a little nearer still to the slaughter-house, were infected. Both recovered, but this family also had removed at the time of my visit. The immediate locality (and indeed the whole within 100 yards of the slaughter-house) was free from fever until July 2nd, 1888, when Mrs. Dolan, living next door to Mr. Scott’s, within half-a-dozen yards of the slaughter-house, was fatally attacked; and, on the same day, a lad working in Mr. Snow’s shop, next door to Mr. Dolan’s on the other side, sickened ; this case likewise terminating fatally. A little later a second boy employed on the same premises (Mr. Snow’s), but living at some distance, passed through an attack of what was called at the time pneumonia, but which there seems reason to believe E 57125. A 3