ETIOLOGY OF MEAT-POISONING 



267 



2. Meat 



Since 1880, more than fifty outbreaks of disease have been traced 

 to the consumption of unwholesome or diseased meat. In 1880 

 occurred the well-known "Welbeck disease" epidemic. A public 

 luncheon was followed by severe and, in some cases, fatal illness. 

 Seventy-two persons were affected and four died. A specific bacillus 

 was isolated by Klein from the cold hams, the consumption of 

 which caused the outbreak. The incubation period varied from 

 twelve to forty-eight hours. This epidemic drew marked attention 

 to the whole question of food-poisoning, and subsequent epidemics 

 were very thoroughly investigated by the aid of bacteriology. Some 

 of the better -known outbreaks may be tabulated as follows : — 



In nearly all these cases the general symptoms have been usually 

 one of two kinds, namely, conditions simulating gastro-enteritis, or 

 conditions simulating nervous disease. Each of the outbreaks have 

 shown more or less clearly the characters common to these epi- 

 demics : — 



1. Simultaneous attacks. 



2. Similarity of symptoms and post-mortem signs. 



3. A history of infection and collateral circumstances. 



The common symptoms have included rigors, faintness, vomiting, 

 diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and occasionally skin eruptions. As a 

 rule, certain nervous conditions have supervened, such as giddiness, 

 headache, paralyses, mental depression, etc., and occasionally these 

 symptoms have been predominant. 



