Llandudno Advertiser and List of Visitors

EXECUTORS OF MARL FARMER SUED. ACTION 13Y A DEGANWY SCHOOL- MASTER. At. the Liverpool Autumn Assizes on Monday, before Mr Justice Bray and a, special jury, the hearing was opened of an action in which Mr George Field, a schoolmaster, of Deg'anwy, sued Margaret Thomas and -John William Hughes, exe- cutors of Emmanuel -Jones, of Marl Farm, for damages for alleged breach of war- ranty in regard to a milk supply. The defendants deny that Emmanuel Jones gave a. warranty or committed any breach of Mr Horridge, K.C., M.P., and Mr Kigsby Swift (instructed by Messrs. Field, Sons, and Harrison) are counsel for the plaintiff; and Mr Taylor, K.C., and Mr Cutbbert Smith (instructed by Messrs. Gradwell, Abercromby, and Co., agents for Mr J. Hughes, Conwav) were counsel for the defendants. Mr Herri dge, in opening the plaintiff's case, said that the circumstances in many I aspects were extremely sad. Mr Fiied d,. who kept the Woodlands School at De- ganwy, was claiming for damages in respect no-. only of the death of hi s wife but also of the serious illness of himself and his only child, and injury done to his school—iai_ the result, as he alleged, of their having- drunk milk which was in- fected by typhoid germs. Substantially the question for the jury would be whetherhe- milk supplied was con- taminated and was responsible for the spread of the disease. But under the Sale of Foods A of the plaintiff would be re- quired to show that he relied on receiving a, pure milk supply, as any purchaser would. It was no answer for the defence to say that they had not. been able with reasonable care to discover any typhoid germs iYc the milk. because in 'law the vendor always sold the article at his own risk. Eminent experts would be called before the I ti I, to tell them what was known by science with regard to typhoid fever. Tiie old idea, about drains being the cause of typhoid fever was now prac- tically abandoned. Of course if the I n specific typhoid bacillus got into a drain the disease would be spread, in that way, but ordinary sewer gas did not cause the disease. Water and milk were now recog- nised to be the most fertile causes. THREE CERTIFICATES. The plaintiff, counsel went on, was an Oxford man. and, after spending some years abroad, he had settled down at De- ganwy as a schoolmaster. For a short time prior to 1905 he had run the Wood- lands School in partnership with a Mr P ii c, h. The school had previously been used as a convalescent home for patients from Birmingham, and the drainage sys- tem of the house was excellent. In 1905, when the plaintiff bought out his partner, and became the sole proprietor of the school, he was at the pains to secure three certificates of the sanitary condition of the institution—one as to the drains being in good order another as to the water supply being good; and a third, given by a. local sanitary inspector named Little, as to Marl Farm, from which the milk oame, being properly kept. 7 Besides a this, he obtained from Em- manuel Jones, who had himself succumb- ed to typhoid during the outbreak, a per- sonal assurance that proper precautions were taken to secure the purity of the milk supplied. It was arranged that the school milk should be delivered in two special tins, which were daily cleansed and scalded at the Woodlands. The first case of typhoid to occur was that of Mrs Thomas, ':he housekeeper of Emmanuel Jones. She contra.cted the disease in February. 1909. and was taken to the Llandudno Fever Hospital. She wa,s displeased, for some reason, with the treatment she receeived there, and was, on March 16th. removed. That date, counsel suggested, too earilv for her removal from the hospital. DISEASE IN THE SCHOOL. On April 3rd the first symptoms of the disease were noticed in the school, when a boy named Geoffrey Wood showed signs of iLiness, and was ordered to his bed. There were three scholars who were specially liable to receive any contamina- tion there might be in the milk, the bov Wood, already mentioned, and two others named Barlow, and Tuxford, who used to drink fresh milk. When infected milk was taken with tea, counsel remark- ed in passing, it was comparatively harm- less, because the germs ceased to fertilise at a. certain degree of heat which was very much less boiling point. The boy Barlow left the school on March 2Oth, and Tux- ford was inoculated on his father's order as soon as he heard about, the outbreak. Both RaTiow and Tuxford thus escaped, the disease. On April 7th two. bovs named Barron were leaving the school for the Easier holidays, and were each gpven a glass of fresh milk on their departure, and ten days alter they began to be un- well. Mr Field himself, who used to drink fresh m k after his breakfast, and his two-year-olcl daughter both became ill about this time. and a few days later Mrs Field, whose case was probably a com- municated one, also took to her bed. A boy named Tommy Mammait, the son of some friends who had been visiting the Fields, wa.3 another sufferer On the 9th Dr. Woodhou.se, who had been attending the boy Wood called in Dr. Suckling, a typhoid specialist, from Birmingham, and as they oame to the conclusion that, the bov was without doubt suffering. from typhoid, he was removed to the hospital. On Easier Sunday, April 10th, Dr Travis, the medical officer, and the sanitary in- spector named L- -jt' e, examined the drains at the house, m connection with which there was am interception trap, which prevented anything from the sewer getting into- the house drains. THE DEATH ROLL. Dr. Woodhouse at this stage warned Field ahout the miik supply, and an I effort was made to obtain milk elsewhere but this could not be clone, probably be- cause people who ha,cli heard that there was disea,se at the school did not care to be mixed up with it. in any way. From that day, however, the milk was regular- ly boiled at the school, and so the spread of infection was prevented. A further ex- amination of the drains revealed the fact that, when the dining-room was added to the old building, the architect's plans had been disregarded in one particular. A drain, which ought to have been discon- nected and diverted was 'left under the dining-room: but as it was beneath Sin. of macadam, 6in. of concrete, and lin. of cement, it could not have caused any harm, even if it ha.d burst. Mrs Field had to take to her bed on April 17th. Her case was diagnosed as typhoid, and she succumbed about, a month later. At the time his wife contracted the disease the plaintiff was lying seriously ill and as her death occurred before his recovery he never saw her again. There were about twenty-ifve houses in the neigh- bourhood, Mr Horriclge continued, which were supplied with milk from the Marl Farm, and in eight of the houses typhoid had occurred at this time. One of the houses was a, hydro and one an hotel, and it was calculated that there were about 250 persons in the neighbourhood, who had their milk from this farm. Out of this number twenty-four persons, or 10 per cent., had suffered from typhoid. Counsel proceeded to enumerate the various cases which had occurred among the customers. Two of them proved fatal, the victims being Councillor Richard Conway and a boy who was employed at the farm. Emmanuel Jones himself was taken ill early in May and died on the 15th. When a typhoid epidemic, said Mr Horridge. originated in the milk supply it was always noticeable that a percentage of children was larger than when it arose from water supply, for the obvious reason that milk was more large- ly consumed by children than by adults. HEAVY LOSSES. In dealing with the question of damages counsel explained to the jury tha,t Mrs Thomas was not only one of the executors under the will of the late Mr Emmanuel Jones, but had been bequeathed the whole of his personal property, and had a life interest in his real estate. Plaintiff's losses in connection with the school had been heavy, for he had lost the whole of the summer term and although for the wtnter term a<u the old scholars had re- turned, there were no new pupils. Add- ed to this loss were the medical and nurs- ing expenses and the expenses of Mrs Field's funeral, making a total of £ 664. Plaintiff was not entitled to any compen- sa.tion for the loss of his wife, except on a pecuniary basis, but he was entitled to recover an amount equal to the actual loss he had suffered by being deprived of her considerable and important services in connection with the management of the school; and there was a further claim in respect of the pain and suffering he had himself endured. LIKE A HOSPITAL. Plaintiff wa,s then called. He bore out counsel's statement generally as to the outbreak of typhoid at the school. There were four nurses in attendance at the school, and the place was more like a hospital than anything else. In connection with the milk supply, plainitiff had done all he could to satisfy himself that proper hygienic precautions- were taken at Marl Farm, and Mr Jones had assured him that he supervised everything himself. Regarding Mrs Thomas's removal from the hospital, plaintiff said that her husband had told him that both he and Mrs Thomas were disgusted with the treatment she had re- ceived at the hospital, and complained that they thought the charges were very high, and that they did not like the nurses. That was the reason why they decided that Mrs Thomas should go back home. Incidentally plaintiff mentioned that he had been feeling- ill for some time before he took to his bed. Mr Taylor (.cross-examining) Have you ever .complained about; Victoria- drive, which 'leads up to your school, being unheiaHhy ?I have complained 'n three times about the road, chiefly be- cause it is such a bad road that it is im- possible art certain times to walk along it without getting stuck, But have you not complained of its being insanitary, and have you not been for some time afraid of some epidemic like this happening?—No. I have com- plained of a certain smell I have noticed in Victoria-drive from time to time. Haven't you complained of it as being- likely to produce some outbreak of this kind?—I think not. What I said was that in case of an outbreak of this sort people might, rightly or wrongly attri- bute it to the condition of the drive. I said that in a letter I wrote to the paper. May I take it then that you appre- hended such an. out,hrea.k?-'No, I didn't apprehend it. PUTTING IT STRONGLY. Mr Taylor quoted a letter plaintiff had written to the medical officer, in which he described the nuisance in Victoria- drive as being a menace to the public health. "What epidemic," he asked, "did you think was likely to arise?" "Witness replied that he did not think fevers were caused by ibiaid smells, but he had feared that the nuisance might lead to sore thro.ats or something like that, He was trying to put the thing as strong- ly as he could, becatise he wanted to stir the council into action. MEDICALI OFFICER AND THE DRAINS, Dr Travis, the medical offioer. did not take the view that these illnesses were caused by the milk?—Not at first. He had all along taken the view that fi •1 thiig farm wa,8 properly managed, and that the milk was all right—up to a cer- tain day, if you like?—I think so. The water supply that goes to the farm is. precisely the same as goes to the school ?—Some of it. some of it After Dr. Travis made an examination of the drains on Easter Monday, witness was told that he, had tried to make out that they were in a. bad condition and that one pipe across the yard was blocked. On the same occasion he made a. com- pla.int about the drain beneath the clin- ing-room. Counsel quoted a letter written by Dr. Travis to Mr Field, the plaintiff's brother, who was acting as plaintiff's solicitor. In it he stat.ed that, if the drain which passed under the new wing was leaking it would pollute the soil under the house. The grease trap was choked and in a foul state and open to the outside atmosphere. All precautions known to sanitary science were taken at Marl Farm, Dr. Travis wrote to prevent the spread of infectious disease. A sample of the milk taken on April 13th was examined bacterioiogicaily in Lon- don without revealing the presence of any bacilli. AN ALTERED VIEW. L Mr Taylor also read a letter written by MrSydney Field, the solicitor, to Dr. Travis on March 14th, in which occurred this passage "You are wilfully shutting your eyes to the obvious origin of the disea-se-v)iz., the milk supplied from Marl Farm." The letter also spoke of the matter' as being of the highest im- portance to the plaintiff, and also being of public interest to the district in which Dr. Travis acted as medical officer. "The whole case," the letter added, "will. be laid before the proper authorities as soon as my brother is strong enough to transact business." On the 8th June Dr. Travis wrote to the plaintiff condoling with him in his irreparable loss. "Pub- lic health work," he said, "carries with it very grave responsibilities. At first we were unable to trace the infection which occurred, but, subsequent events showed clearly that the contagion was. carried to your school in the milk." What were the "subsequent events," as far as you know, that had come to this gentleman's knowledge after March 15th? —He had completed his inquiries and formed his conclusions, I suppose. Do you know of any events which could have altered his judgment?—Nothing but, his own judgment. U U Excepting the letter which suggested j that he would be hrought, before the pub- lie authorities, do you know of anv fact or event which could have added to the material on which he formed his judg- ment, ?-No, excepting that his own opin- ion changed. Mr Taylor remarked that the change of views was rather extraordinary. U DEFENCE'S THEORY! ,His Lordship asked what was the cause of the outbreak according, to the defence. Mr Taylor Existing typhoid cases at Llandudno Junction, infection being con- veyed through the drains and .also the fact that these sewers discharge into the Conway, quite close to Llandudno Junc- tion. Mr Horriclge Then you suggest that you can catch it. in the air ? The cook at the Woodlands denied that the milk cans were ever left near the drain in the yard, and the gardener deposed to having made periodical inspections of the drains and gullies. Thomas Teclmore Thomas, the assistant surveyor of Conway, saicl that, when a water pressure test was applied there were signs of a. leakage in the drain be- neath the dining-room, but suggested that it, might have been due t.o the hammering of the pipe. j Fire em ail A. Dei am ore, the borough surveyor of Conway, in cross-examina- tion, was asked if he had ever suggested as a. possible explajiatijon of the cause of the outbreak thati rats had travelled up the sewer from Llandudno to the Wood- lands. He replied, that he had never ad- vancecl that theory, but said there were rats in most sewers, and no doubt they coulcl have travelled in the way suggest- eel. The Court at this point adjourned until Tuesday. TUESDAY'S' HEARING. EVIDENCE OF SIR JAMES BARR. ——- SAYS IDEA OF TYPHOID FROM DRAINS HAS BEEN EXPLODED. At the hearing on Tuesday evidence for I the plaintiff was continued. Mr Segar 'Owen, architect, of Warrington, deposed that the drain beneath the dining-room -at the school ought to have been dis- connected when the extension was made, but through an oversight, it had been left there. There was no leakage in the pipe, but even if there had been any con- tamination of the soil, the macadam, concrete, and cement beneath which the pipe was buried would have prevented any injurious effects from arising. Miss Williams, matron of the Llan- dudno Isolation Hospital, stated that Mrs Thomas (who was housekeeper at Marl Farm) was admitted' to the institu- tion suffering from typhoid fever. Mr Emmanuel Jones came, to see her every day, but he used to stand about, a yard from the bed. Mrs Thomas was dis- charged from hospital by her own doctor. Mr Horriclge: In your judgment, was she quite well when she lefi? Witness No, I don't think she was sufficiently re- covered to be removed. Answering his Lordship, she said that she thought Mrs Thomas was suffering from phlebitis, and her heart was weak when she was taken away. His Lordship Otherwise she was fit to be discharged? As far as I know. Would there be any danger of infection from her? I didn't think so at the time. Do you mean thalt you have altered your opinion since? There might be a possibility. By Mr Taylor Milk was brought from By Mr Taylor Milk was brought from Marl Farm every clay specially for Mrs Thomas. Sarah Emily Lewi's, a. nurse at the isolation hospital, said that two clays be- fore Mrs Thomas was removed from the hospital she heard a conversation between her and her doctor. The doctor was per- suading her to stay longer in the in- stitution, but she persisted in saying she wanted to go home, and she was dis- charged. Miss Sharp, matron of Birmingham Convalescent, Home, near Marl Farm, stated that. she frequently saw Emmanuel Jones delivering milk. On one occasion he spoke to her. He was looking very worried, and he said, "This trouble over here (pointing to the school) is killing me." He said how very sorry he was for the Fields, and said he could not sleep at night for thinking of their great trouble. He said he had got a certificate, and what could lie do ? She told him he could do nothing, and he was not to trouble. He then toltd her that he was going to seE aiil his cows at an early date and give up dairy work. She did not see him again, as he died a few days afterwards. James Percival Barron, one of the boys who attended the Woodlands School, stated that he and his brother left school on the 7th April for their home in Mid- dlewich. Before leaving he and his brother were given a gl-ass of milk and a piece of cake. About a fortnight later he became unwell, and later suffered from typhoid fever. Dr. S1, L. Melville, Middlewich, de- posed that he saw the two Barrens boys on the 1st May, and they were then at the end of the firSit. or the beginning of the second week of the fever. Other witnesses oiave evidence as to the dates on which persons who, it. was alleged, had consumed milk from Marl Farm, became ill from typhoid fever. Dr. Edward Ri. Woodhouse, of Dian- dudno. who1 attended the boy Wood and the members of the Field family at Wood- lands, stated that on the day the drains were examined he' had his attention drawn to the manhole outside the verandah, but he could not, as had been suggested, detect any offensive smell, nor was. the manhole foul. He thought it, was point- ed out. to him because the cement, work was rough. In DRAINS AND TYPHOID. Sir James Barr, who' said he had had a wide experience of typhoid cases, de- posed to his visits to members of the Field family, and also tlü Emmanuel Jones. With regard to, Jones, there was no doubt that, he was suffering from typhoid fever and the effects of alcohol. Sir Jamesi, replying to a further ques- tion of Mr Horridge., said the idea, about typhoid fever comitng from drains had been explode di long ago. From the first there had been no direct evidence that it was caused by drains; it was pure as- sumption from beginning to end. Pro- fessor Hal dane had made experiments which showed that there were fewer typhoid) organisms in sewer1 gas than in ordinary atmosphere. Those experiments were, confirmed by Dr. Andrews, the cele- brated bacteriologist, of London, who had lately been .engaged in a series of experiments which had shown that he had only been able to get pathogenic organisms out of sewer air when he had put, them in. The typhoid germ he had ascertained did not live more than two days in a sewer, and that no sort of organ- ism from a main sewer could get into. a house drain if there was an interceptor; therefore the only way in which a house drain could be infected was from the house itself. Mr Horriclge Is typhoid as infectious in the earlier periods as later on?—No. Is the differenceconsideralble ? Very considerable. Proceeding, Sir James said that the period of incubation varied very much. If a person got a very in- tense dose the perilod. might, be cut down to ten days, but in a comparatively mild case it might run up to three weeks. Re- ferring to an epidemic in Liverpool in 1897, due to ice cream sold by an Italian at a. Knoitty Ash fair, and from which 27 cases arose, Sir James, said that in the, first case. a, little girl went home from Liverpool to Denbigh, and in her case the pertiod was 13Jbout three weeks. Dr. Hope (medical officer -of health) ferreted out the whole thing. Witness did not think that Victoria-drive, leading up to plaintiff's schodl, had anything to do with the Woodlands cases at all. Mr Horriclge: I understand it is sug- gested that these germs came from the sewer which joins the Woodlands sewer, 200 yards from its outlet? Witness It is utterly impossible. And then travelled up three quarters of a mile, and came through the interceptor, into the house? The suggestion is ridi- culous. He clijcli not. see how rats could get past the interceptor into the house drains. When he saw the Wioodlancls it was in a perfectly sanitary condition, and he never saw a cleaner house than the school. Asked as toO his view regarding the di-a,in under the dining-room floor of the school, .Sir James said such a thing wa,s quite, common. There was one under his house, but if the drain was well laid and j properly covered there was not, the slightest risk of a smell coming through. None 0] the Fled cases were contact cases. He pointed out thai in hospitals they treated typhoid persons in the ordin- ary ward, and the only person who ran any risk of infection Was the nurse, and he always told the nurses that if they got 1 b 'the disease or gave u to anybody else he shou,ld blame them, because if they wash- ed theUr hands thoroughly and took pro- per preeautiÏons there was practically no risk. The chief carriers of typhoid were milk, walcis, and flies, and in milk the bacilli would thrive. A person who had suffered from typhoid might ,ca,rry the germs in the system for months, or a year sometimes, a,iid a person who had a, t- tended on a patient might carry the germs on the finger nails for days. Cress-examined by Mr Taylor: Have you ever known of a case where milk ha,s been infected in the way you suggest, that- is Ly a person in personal atten- dance on a typhoid patient dealing with milk direct? n Sir James Blarr replied that in the ice cream dase he had mentioned the infec- tion must have been conveyed in thai- way. The Italian hacl his wife ill from typhoid fever, but he had not typhoid himself. He would be brought into close contact with his wife. The germs did not. fly about in the atiiiosphere-, the disease m uistbB conveyed. At this point, the court adjourned until Wednesday morning. WEDNESDAY'S HEARING. E'XPEIR;T"S, TESTIMONY. On Wednesday Mr Taylor resumed his cross-examination ofslilr James Barr, who ha.d attended the Fields and Em- manuel Jones, and who gave evidence on Tuesday supporting the theory that the infection was introduced in these cases by the milk supply. In answer to Mr Taylor, Sir James said t'hat he had taken two samples of Em- manuel Jones's blood when he saw him. In one sample tested at a laboratory no bacilli were detected j the other sample he tested himselif and found evidence of slight ihfecttion. The germs might have been transmitted from a typhoid patient, to the milk through the medium of a dozen persons. Under one finger-nail a person might carry a hundred million germs, but the germs, Sir James added, were never air-borne, But if the bacilli are cliiigeng- to dust particles they may be blown about ?— Well, they may be, but there are no cases on record. Dr. Meredith Young, the medical offi- cer of health for Cheshire county, said he had examined the drainage system at the schools., and found it to be well planned and well executed. At, Marl Farm the drainage went where it could. He had seen the open ditch in Victoria- drive, near the schodl, but would have to be very hard pressed for a, theory to account, for the epidemic before he would suspect the ditch. The suggestion that the bacilli had travelled along the sewer from Llandudno Junction and entered the school drains wa,se,ven more impro- bable. Even if bushels of bacilli were put iniJo the sewer at Llandudno Junction it would be prruciticaJily impossible for them to travel along the sewer againsib the flow. In the rat theory there was noth- ing whatever. Rats were nolt found under the modern .sewerage system. Many peo- ple were, naturally, immune, from typhoid, he stated. Milk was a good lp medium for the cultivation of bacilli. A bacillus had been known to live as long- as twenty-eight or thirty days in milk. It was impossible to say when a typhoid patient was absolute|ly free from the germs of the disease. There was a case on re- cord of a doctor after having an attack of typhoid carrying the bacillus for twentv-nine yea,rs.-(L,a,-Lighter.) But in ordinary meclicail experiencei it was safe for a typhoid patient- to g0 about, among the public, three or four weeks after con- valescence. In the course of some questions as to the possibility of bacilli travelling along the sewer to the school drain, Mr Taylor asked, "Can they go uphiU 1" "Olh),, yes," replied the doctor. "They have got tails at both ends and can go in any direiction." Mr Taylor: Like, sjhe aviators.-—. (Laughter.) Mr Horridge: Or like the ferryboats. THE CASE FOR THE! DEFENCE:. Mr Taylori, addressing the jury for the defence, laid emphasis on the bcrt, that no evidence had been cajHed to prove that Emmanuel, Jones ever attended on his housekeeper, Mrs Thomas, after she came back from the hospital, and there was no evidence that the persons who did attend on Mrs Thomas ever handled the milk. There were causes other than the milk supply which might be held account- able for the outbreak. The neighbour- hood was rich in infective powers in re- lation to typhoid. As late as October, 1908. there had been an outbreak at Llan- dudno Junction, and ,there were cases fchetre. wlaich continued to be infective. until April last. The typhoid bacilli dis- charged from the main sewer at Llan- dudno Junction might account for any- thing. When the, bacilli dried on the mucTbanks of the estuary they could be borne about by the wind, clinging to dust particles. 'Counsel also comm,ented strongly on the fact that of the 150 guests staying at the hydro supplied with milk from Mairll Flairmonl one. had had typhoid, whereas of the servants—much less likely to drink milk than the hydro guest L,s-no fewer than six had been at- tacked by the disease. This, 'he said, was a strong argument in favour of the, theory that, the drains or some other medium had brought the contamination. Mrs Margaret Thomas, one of the de- fendants, was then called. She said she was the housekeeper of the late Mr Em- manuel Jones,, alt, the Marl Farm, and had been in his service altogether for twenty-eight, years. While she was at the hospital Emmanuel Jones, although he visited her, never came near to her bed. When she returned to Mart Farm she was attended to by her' daughter and a nurse and Jones did not, give any assist- ance. WIlKam Little, sanitary inspector, Llandudno, said he had found the drains att Woodlands School in a defective state. This witness had not completed his evidence when the court rose. THURSDAY'S HEARING. 0'n Thursday evidence for the defence was continued. Dr. John David Jones, of Llandudno Junction, was examined by Mr Taylor. Is there any truth in the suggestion that you are an old friend of Marg-aret Thomas's family,—Not -at all. Is there any foundajtion for the sugges- tion that you have it-eeii either engaged to or are courting or paying, addresses to Maggie Thomas or any of the daughters? —Not aib all. It is deliberate lie. Witness proceeded to state that he at- tended Mangaret Thomas at Marl, Farm, and she was removed to hospital on February 9th last. While she wa,s in hospital you know that Emmanuel Jones visited her-do you think there was any risk in it ?—Not at all. Shlefrt the hospital on the 16th Alarch by witness's permission, as in his judg- ment he thought, she was in a fit and proper condition to be discharged. In- deed, so far as the typhoid was concern- ed, she could have left the hospital about nine or ten days .before she did but there was hesitation in discharging her because of heart and bodily weakness. Witness, told the daughter who was attending on Mrs Thomas t/hajt she was not to do any- thing in the dairy. Wliltness officially notified the public health authorities that, Emmanuel Jones was suffering from typhoid fever for the sole reason that Sir James Barr took a sample of Jones's blood, etc., which sug- gested that Sir James was of opinion that Jones was suffering from typhoid. He considered such a notification did no harm even if the case, did not. turn out to be typhoid. Mr Taylor: Was your own personal opinion that, it, was typhoid? Witness: No. When he received Sir James Barr's letter giving the result of his analysis with regard to Jones witness thought he had made a mistake in send- ing a notification that it was typhoid. In his death certificate he s.aid that death was due to valvular disease of the heart, typhoid fever, and congestion of the lungs. Hjis Lordship You still say typhoid fever in your ceruifiicate. Wiinuess I had notified typhoid, and I thought. I would stick to it—(laughter) to overcome, some difficulties, Mr Taylor: What were the difficulties ? Witness: As Dr. Travis has to make his report to the Registrar-General about his cases. Well, he has got my report that it is typhoid, and then he sees the death certificate with no typhoid in it. His Lordship And he would ask for an explanation ? Witn ess C e it ain 1 y.' And then you could give your ex- planation tibat you came to the conclu- sion that it was not typhoid. There would The no difficulty about. that?—No. Mr Horridge Are you in the habit of putting things in your certificates that are not true for the purpose of helping the medical officer of health? Witness: No. When youcerltified that Emmanuel Jones had died from typhoid you honestly believed it, to be true?—I took the assumption of Dr. Barr. His Lordship: Did you believe it to be true'? Witness I did. EXPERT AND CONWAY F0-RE- SHORE. Dr. A. J. Fuilerton, who. has had a large experience in connection with typhoid fever, deposed that he had visited Marl Farm, the Woodlands, and Llan- dudno Junction. Mr Taylor: Taking; the cases at the Woodlands, with their dates, and the series of cases at tlhe Hydro, in your, judgment do those cases present, the ap- Z) pearance of typhoid arising from milk Witness, Excerpt for the fact that milk was consumed al-u .certain of the houses neither the outbreak at, the school, hydro, nor as a, whole present, the character- istics of a milk outbreak. On the con- trary, if you take the characterist-LCS one by 'one, I think in almost every case that it is against a, milk outbreak. Asked to. give his reasons for arriving at that, conclusion, he said that the usual characteristics of a milk outbreak were that the onset was sudden, the course comparatively short, and the termination abrupt. In ordinary outbreaks males, going albout, in a greater degree and being more exposed to chance, infection, were more likely to be attacked by the disease, but in iiiik outbreaks, the infection being in the home, the proportion of females attacked was relatively higher. In milk outbreaks, moreover, the cases were generally less severe and there was. a smaller proportion of contact or second- ary cases. If the milk supplied to the Woodlands School was contaminated a large number of cases would have occurred, as all the inmates drank the same milk. Witness connected the out- break at the school with the epidemic at Llandudno Junction, which commenced with a case notified1 on November 6th, 1908, and concluded with a ca,se notified on June 20th of this year. He linked them all together as one outbreak. The cause, he believed, was the condition of the foreshore of the river in the neigh- bourhood of the Junction. He had had a, good deal of experience in the matter of inspection of tidail estuaries contam- inated by typhoid, and only six years a,go he had reported on a typhoid fever out- break at a. place where the conditions were entirely similar to those in the present ease. In a tidal estuary, where the foreshore was exposed twice daily, a, fine sludge, which might contain a greater or lesser degree of typhoid bacilli, ibrought down by the outfalls, was de- posited on the foreshore, and when the sludge, dried the particles,, with the bacilli clinging to them, were bilown about. In such towns as Newhaven, Southend-on-Tliames. and Chichester, where from his own experience these conditions were constant, typhoid was endemic. Further, witness stated that there were mussel beds near the outfall in CONTIINUEiD ON PAGE 3. Printed and Published by the Proprietors, Frank Edge and Alec G. Moy, at the "Advertiser" Printing Works, Market Street,, j Llandudno.