An intestinal epidemic of modest and unidentified source broke out at Harvard during the Thanksgiving holiday. Almost all of its victims have been residents of Houses served by Central Kitchen.

University Health Services began to notice a larger-than-normal influx of patients last Thursday evening, and the victims were still trickling into Stillman Infirmary last night. In most cases, they complained of stomach pains and nausea; several attributed their illness to food eaten either in the Union or House dining rooms.

But an investigation has so far failed to uncover the epidemic's source. While many victims ate Thanksgiving dinner at the Union, others did not, and almost no freshmen have complained to the Health Services.

The Lethal Meal

The Houses did not serve dinner Thursday night, so sanitarian Wilfrid Krabek is investigating the possibility that Central Kitchen's Wednesday night meal may have contained the lethal ingredient.

Dr. Curtis Prout, associate director of the Health Services, explained last night that intestinal epidemics are frequent occurrences, particularly before and after holidays. Every year, for instance, such an epidemic breaks out several days before Christmas. Why this is, Prout said, no one knows, but he speculated that the epidemics may be caused by a virus, probably transmitted through the air rather than through the food.

A Short Siege

Prout predicted the whole thing would be over within 48 hours. He said the virus usually lasts that long; its effects are "uncomfortable" but not "dangerous." Tracing its cause, Prout said, is "rather like detective work."

The Health Services initially discounted any connection between the epidemic and food served anywhere at Harvard. Victims curious about their ailments encountered silence from their doctors, or assurances that it was simply a virus--"like the flu."

Steve Nightingale '67, one of more than a dozen stricken at Lowell House, said last night that he still didn't know what had cause his illness. "Stillman never told me anything except 'roll over."

Asked his opinion of Wednesday night's meal at Lowell, Nightingale said he did not remember "anything being more foul than usual."