TYPHOID FEVER IH DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 17 
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 
On account of the difficulties in obtaining accurate information 
regarding the sources of fruits and vegetables eaten raw, no definite 
statement can be made concerning the relation of such food to the 
disease. However, our impression is that they played little or no 
part in the spread of the infection. 
SHELLFISH AND FRESH-WATER FISH. 
The disease prevails in Washington to the greatest extent at the 
season of the year when comparatively few shellfish are eaten. Fur- 
ther, the great majority of cases gave a history of having eaten no 
shellfish during the thirty days prior to onset of illness. The same 
applies to fresh-water fish. The follovfing table gives the data in 
regard to the eating of shellfish and fresh- water fish b}^ the cases : 
Yes. 
No. 
Not 
stated. 
Oysters (30 days prior to illness) 
60 
6.^5 
32 
Clams (30 days prior to illness) 
64 
647 
36 
Lobsters (30 days prior to illness) 
8 
708 
31 
Crabs (30 days prior to illness) 
190 
516 
41 
Fresh- water fish (30 days prior to illness) 
205 
504 
38 
We may therefore safely conclude that such articles of diet played 
no appreciable part in spreading the infection. 
OCCUPATION. 
No special relation between occupation and the disease can be made 
out. It is interesting to note that during the period studied by us the 
number of cases was reiativel}^ somewhat high among housekeepers, 
bartenders, draymen, hackmen and teamsters, messenger boys, news- 
boys, steam railway men, stenographers, machinists, and persons 
attending school. Three cases occurred among dairymen. 
MILK. 
We found that the 747 cases considered as havmg contracted their 
infection in the District of Columbia gave the following history in 
regard to the use of milk within thirty days prior to illness: 
As a beverage, 488; in fruits and cereals, but not as a beverage, 90; 
in hot tea or coffee only, 50; as ice cream only, 65; none, 40; not 
stated, 14. Eighty-five of these cases were attributed to the use of 
infected milk, and of these, 6 were attributed to the use of infected 
ice cream. 
ICE. 
Five hundred and ninety-eight cases used ice in beverages; 125 
used no ice in food or beverages; 24 cases gave no data. 
29643—07 2 
