Reports and papers on suspected cases of human plague in East Suffolk and on an epizootic of plague in rodents.

  • Great Britain. Local Government Board.
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

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 Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    H suspected troui the first fuller notes would doubtless have been made. The fact that the first child to be attacked had, as bas already been said, recently been staying at a cottage on an isolated farm, led to inquiries l)eiug made concerning the child’s move- ments while there. The child arrived at this farm (occupied by a family named M ) from lier home on August 28th, and left again on September 4th. She appeared in good liealth all the time, play- ing about ill the liarvest field and taking food to the men while they were at work. She often liad lier meals with them. During the week of her stay at the farm she only left it on the occasion wlien she went as tar as Chelmoiidiston post office. A child from London, Mrs. M.’s niece, had arrived the Friday before Bank-holiday, and she also was in good health all the time. 'riiere had been no illness in the house, wdth the exception of one daughter who had died of pulmonary tuberculosis in May, 1910, after a prolonged illness. Inquiides were also made at the two other cottages on the farm, but no illness had occurred either amongst any of the two families or amongst animals, including rats, cats, fowds, rabbits, hares, or mice. Some London manure bad been sju'ead on one of the more distant fields al)Out four months ago, but none near the cottages. But, under any circumsfances, the fact that the child was not attack(Hl until some eight days after her return to liatimer Cot- tages renders it extremely improbable, on the assumption that the disease was ])lague,* that she contracted this illness at the farm in (question. In so far as human sources are concerned, the origin of this child’s illness must remain unexj)lained, as careful inquiries failed to elicit any connection with previous human disease of similar or suspicious nature either in the adjoining or neighbour- ing cottages or, in fact, anywhere in the district. But, as will be seen directly, the prevalence of plague amongst rats and certain other animals iii the Samford i)eninsula, suggest opportunities for infection from this source which are significant. The circumstance that two or three dead hares had been found in a neighbouring field and a dead cat upon the doorstep of an immediately adjoining cottage, two days previous to the child’s illness, renders it far from inqu'obable that infection may have been derived from one or other of these animals. The child may obviously have fondled the sick cat and derived in- fection from it or its fleas. It was suggested by someone in the immediate locality that the child might ])0ssibly have found one of the dead hares and brought it home with the view of having it cooked. But no satisfactory evidence could be obtained in su])port of this view, although, if it were true, it is possible that the child may have contracted the disease from the hare, more especially if any ® The incubation period of plague is usually from 2-5 days, but at times it may be onlv a few hours.