1. Of the 29 sufferers, 27 had the particular powder in use at or about the date of attack. Of the remaining two, the mother of one had the particular powder in the house at the time the infant was attacked, but did not, so far as she can remember, use it; the other mother (whose infant suffered very slightly) had no powder at all, and is of opinion that the soreness of her infant’s neck was the result of pressure from the instruments used in delivery.
2. The sufferers with few exceptions (all of whom however had the powder) were grouped near to one or other of the two shops which alone in this extensive parish sold the particular powder in question.
3. Infants using the particular powder, and those alone, were attacked by the malady. This is shown in the following table, which is an abstract of the results of personal inquiry to this end respecting infants born in the parish during the half year ended March 1878. Except where otherwise stated, violet powder of some sort was used to every child, and (with certain exceptions to be considered in the text) only one kind of powder was in use to the several children attacked by the malady.
Locality. Date of Date of Violet Powder Remarks. Birth. Attack. from one or other of the two Shops. Forest Road 2 Oct. 1877 No No ? Any powder. Loughton Park 4 Oct. „ No No High Road 5 Oct. „ No No Baldwin’s Hill 6 Oct. „ 25 Oct. Yes Epping New Road 15 Oct. „ No No Forest Road 18 Oct. „ No — Born in a tent by roadside. Forest Road 21 Oct. „ No No Ash Green 25 Oct. „ 26 Oct. Yes Forest Road 26 Oct. „ No No ? Any powder. High Road 1 Nov. „ No No High Road 7 Nov. „ 31 Dec. Yes Smart’s Lane 8 Nov. „ No No Baldwin’s Hill 11 Nov. „ 15 Nov. Yes High Road 14 Nov. „ No No Forest Road 18 Nov. „ No No Only lived 15 minutes. Ash Green 20 Nov. ,, 22 Nov. Yes Smart’s Lane 20 Nov. „ No No England’s Lane 27 Nov. „ 1 Jan. 1878 Yes Habitually used starch. Smart’s Lane 30 Nov. „ No — Left district. Loughton Road 16 Dec. „ No No Warren Hill 24 Dec. „ No No Smart’s Lane 24 Dec. „ No No Baldwin’s Hill 29 Dec. „ 30 Dec. Yes Ash Green 30 Dec. „ 14 Feb. Yes At first used powder from previous confinement. Mutton Row 30 Dec. „ No No Golding’s Hill 2 Jan. 1878 20 Feb. Yes Trap’s Hill 3 Jan. „ No No York Hill 5 Jan. „ No No Forest Road 19 Jan. „ No No Forest Road 30 Jan. „ No No Smart’s Lane 5 Feb. „ No No Warren 8 Feb. „ No No Baldwin’s Hill 10 Feb. „ 14 Feb. Yes Forest Road 12 Feb. „ No No York Hill 17 Feb. „ 19 Feb. Yes Baldwin’s Hill 19 Feb. „ Mid. March Yes High Road 1 March „ No No High Road 11 March ,, No No Golding’s Hill 13 March „ 15 March Yes