16 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Jan., 



be more likely to be exempt from the disease than the 

 students themselves. From twenty responses received 

 from the alumni it was found, however, that there were 

 two cases of genuine typhoid fever, which had developed 

 simultaneously with those in the college and that there 

 were three other cases of sickness which had not been 

 regarded as serious. These might or might not have 

 had some connection with the banquet in question, 

 though it is quite doubtful. Of the five students in Yale 

 college, two were taken with typhoid symtoms at just 

 four weeks after the banquet. One of them developed 

 into a severe case of typhoid fever and the other one is 

 convalescing. In regard to these two cases at Yale.it 

 should, however, be noted that they appeared quite late, 

 indeed, four weeks after the supper had been held, and 

 although four weeks is not too long a period of incuba- 

 tion to be possible, still it is unusul. They developed, 

 however, at exactly the period that the last case in Wes- 

 leyan made its appearance. It is also a fact that there 

 were two other cases of typhoid fever in Yale college 

 that certainly had no connection with these banquets or 

 these oysters, and it is therefore not certain that these 

 two cases are to be attributed to these banquets. It 

 is, however, a remarkable coincidence that of four cases 

 of typhoid at Yale, two should have been those who at- 

 tended the banquet at Middletown and ate of the oysters 

 in question and that these two should have developed 

 within the four weeks following the banquet. It is there- 

 fore at least probable that these cases were due to the 

 same cause. 



It will be seen that, as soon as the oysters were ac- 

 cused of the trouble two of the three cases above men- 

 tioned of cases occurring outside the fraternities were at 

 once explained. The fourth case remained isolated. 

 This case was a member of the faculty, who had not at- 

 tended either of the banquets. He was taken with a 



