18 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Jan,, 



proved extremely severe and the lady died on the 21st 

 of October. In the other case, the fever, after running 

 about five weeks, disappeared and convalescence set 

 in. It is, of course, very easy to understand that the 

 typhoid germs could have found entrance into the oys- 

 ters from this source of contamination. Now it has been 

 known for some time, having been shown by Foster, 

 that the typhoid germs will live for a long time in sea 

 water, or indeed, in a conceatrated salt solution. The 

 specimens of the oysters from the creek, however, were 

 put into the hands of Dr. Foote of Yale college, who soon 

 showed that if the typhoid germs were forced in between 

 the two valves of the shell they would remain alive in 

 the oyster for a time suflBcient to enable the oyster to be 

 carried to Middletown and to be used at the initiation 

 banquets. Whether or not they will grow and multiply 

 in oysters has not yet been positively determined. 



Shortly after the oyster had been placed under suspic- 

 ion it was learned that there were at Amherst college 

 several cases of typhoid fever. Correspondence was at 

 once instituted which resulted in showing that at 

 Amherst there had been held an initiation supper on the 

 night of October 12th. Most of the cases of typhoid at 

 Amherst occurred among the members of one fraternity, 

 who, as at Wesleyan, neither roomed nor boarded to- 

 gether. They, however, had attended the initiation sup- 

 per on October 12th, had eaten of raw oysters at the 

 supper ; and inquiry showed that these raw oysters also 

 came from the same place and had been fattened in the 

 mouth of the same creek. As at Wesleyan certain wells 

 were first placed under suspicion but examination showed 

 them to be good. While, of course, this did not conclu- 

 sively demonstrate that the cases at Amherst were due 

 to the same source of infection as that at Wesleyan it 

 rendered it at least probable. 



The facts above related, it will be seen, point with 



