Reports and papers on suspected cases of human plague in East Suffolk and on an epizootic of plague in rodents.
- Date:
- 1911
Licence: In copyright
Credit: Reports and papers on suspected cases of human plague in East Suffolk and on an epizootic of plague in rodents. 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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![in the hospital. On January 27th a purpuric eruption was observed on her legs. On February 2nd she returned to Mrs. F. at Nactou, where, on the following day, she was joined by her father, W. G. li., on his discharge from the hospital. H. F., aged 7, was the daughter of Mrs. F. of Nacton, who, as already stated, extended hospitality to H. R. on her return from visiting her brother, H. R. at Barham Workhouse on Sunday, January 16th. This child was taken ill on the night on Tliursday, February 3rd, when she awoke between 11 and 12 with severe abdominal pain. Next morning (Friday) she was a little better, and remained about the same during the day, but on Saturday morning she became much worse, and medical advice was sought. Her condition grew steadily less satisfactory, and on Sunday was so serious as to indicate the need for an exploratory operation, which was performed at 5 p.ra. The child, however, died at 8 p.m. the same night. The surgeon, who performed the operation, was good enough to furnish me with particulars relative to the case. On opening up the abdomen tlie omentum and mesentery were fxill of enlarged glands, varying in size from a pea to a marble; the intestines were inflamed and there was a good deal of lymph thrown out. A post-mortem examination was made and the viscera examined, but no poison was detected. At the inquest a verdict of “ peri- tonitis ” was returned. The surgeon, who j)crformed the operation, is now strongly of opinion, by the light of the subsequent events, that the child was suffering from plague. 77/c Trimley OuihreaJc E.rrinuiied. The cases of illness here very imjjerfectly described for lack of reliable data, i)resented symptoms and manifestations which clearly puzzled all those brought into relation with them, and the inquests which were held and the autopsies which were performed failed to furnish any adeqiiate explanation of the occurrences. All admitted themselves face to face with something which they had not seen before, and which they were unable to classify. From the accounts of the inquests which I have, through the courtesy of the coroners, had opportunities of studying, it is clear that a toxic condition, brought about either by accidental food poisoning or by the exhibition of some vegetable or mineral poi.son, was in the minds of many jTersons at this time. But the intervals which separated the several attacks of illness and the long period of time—one month—over which the ca.ses crop])ed up, seems fatal to any such hypothesis, and, moreover, the general circumstances of the outbreak do not in any way fit in with a theory of poisoning. On the other hand, it would seem that a communicable malady was in question, a fact which is at once apparent by a reference to the foregoing table and a consideration of all the circumstances. Tn relation to the question of infectivity, whether direct from](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22431937_0048.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
