26 SEWAGE-POLLUTED OYSTERS AS CAUSE OF TYPHOID. 



viewed belonged to this class. As opportunity was not afforded to 

 visit these towns, no information relative to the source of oysters 

 eaten was obtained. Data in regard to excessive diarrhea or other 

 intestinal diseases were not available, owing to the fact that cases of 

 this character were not reported to the health office ; hence there was 

 no way of locating persons who may have been afflicted with such 

 disturbances. 



SCHOOLM ASTERS' BANQUET, NEWBURGH, N. Y. 



During the Minisink investigation it was learned that a shipment of 

 one-half barrel of shell oysters had been made from dealer A, located 

 at Indian Creek, by a Fulton Market firm, to Newburgh, N. Y., on 

 October 12, 1911. These oysters were served at the schoolmasters' 

 banquet, given at a Newburgh hotel on the following day. There 

 were present at this banquet about 60 teachers and their guests, 

 representing some 8 counties of the State. The names and addresses 

 of the individuals attending this banquet, together with a list of the 

 articles of food served on this occasion, were obtained. 



A circular letter similar in character to that sent the guests of the 

 Minisink banquet was prepared and sent to each of these 60 indi- 

 viduals. Of the 57 who replied, 1 stated that he did. not attend the 

 banquet, leaving a total of 56 individuals who were present. The 

 menu served at this banquet contained oysters on the half shell, soup, 

 fish, roast chicken, cooked vegetables, salad, ice cream, cake, and 

 coffee. 



Tljese letters showed that 50 of the 56 guests had eaten raw oysters, 

 and of this number 13, or 23.2 per cent, had gastrointestinal disturb- 

 ances, in most instances beginning 2 or 3 days later, and somewhat 

 similar in character to the cases following the Minisink banquet. 

 Information relative to one positive case of typhoid fever, or 2 per 

 cent of those eating oysters, was obtained, the illness beginning about 

 12 days after the banquet. A personal visit to this individual showed 

 a clear history of oyster infection. It was the discovery of this case 

 and a study of his previous history which revealed the fact that he 

 had attended the Newburgh banquet. No other member of his family 

 attended this banquet, and no one was ill. In reporting this case of 

 typhoid fever to the State department of health, the local health 

 officer's card stated that no oysters had been eaten 20 days prior to 

 the illness. This is but one of a number of such instances encoun- 

 tered while making the personal investigations. 



The excuse given by another physician for not reporting "raw 

 shellfish" as having been eaten within the proper incubation period 

 was the fact that the patient could not ordinarily afford to buy oysters ; 

 it was self-evident that the card had been filled out in the physician's 

 office without even asking the patient what he had eaten. The facts 

 showed that he had eaten raw oysters at the Minisink banqueto One 



