1895.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. lY 



slight fever and inasmuch as it appeared at about the 

 same time with the students, it was regarded as identical 

 with the other cases. It proved, however, a very slight 

 fever, lasting only a few days, and it is therefore at 

 least doubtful whether it was typhoid. Whether this 

 person ate of the raw oysters cannot be positively deter- 

 mined. It is a fact that raw oysters were eaten at the 

 table where he boarded at about the time of the banquet, 

 but yet no positive connection between the person and 

 these oysters has been made out. Whether, therefore, 

 this case is to be regarded as an isolated case of fever 

 having no connection with the others and not strictly 

 typhoid fever, or whether it is a fact that it is also ex- 

 plained by some connection with the infected oysters 

 has not been determined. 



Inquiry was made at once as to the source of the oys- 

 ters and it was learned that while they had grown in the 

 deep water of Long Island Sound, they had been depos- 

 ited in the mouth of a fresh water creek for a day or 

 more to freshen. This freshening, as is well known, con- 

 sists of the absorption by the oysters of fresh water 

 which causes them to swell up and become plump. 

 These oysters had thus been "fattened" before being 

 sent to Middletown. Further inquiry showed that with- 

 in about 400 feet of the place where they had been de- 

 posited was the outlet of a private sewer coming from a 

 house wherein were two cases of typhoid fever. Tha 

 persons in question were a lady and her daughter. They 

 were taken sick at such a f)eriod as to call in a physicicn 

 for the first time October 11th which, of course, means 

 that the disease had been in its period of incubation for 

 probaly considerably over a week earlier. The oysters 

 were sent to Middletown upon the 10th of October, and 

 therefore they were deposited at this place in exactly 

 the time to receive contamination during the early days 

 of these two cases of typhoid. Of those two cases one 



