An inquiry into the outbreak of typhoid fever in Limerick Jail has been completed, and although the Inspector of Prisons’ report has not yet been presented to the Lord Lieutenant, a medical correspondent sheds light on the medical aspects of the case. An elderly political prisoner contracted typhoid fever while in Limerick Prison and later developed mania. Among other factors, the unsanitary conditions in Limerick are thought to be a contributing factor to the spread of the disease. The investigation looked into air-borne typhoid germs and fly-borne typhoid germs as potential causes, with flies likely carrying germs into the cooking department and infecting the food. The development of mania following febrile diseases such as typhoid fever is connected to the temperature and the blood, which is contaminated with the products of broken-down tissues. Classic writers on continued fevers have recognized mania as a consequence of severe forms of the disease, though it is often not permanent.

Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph – Wednesday 26 November 1902