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contacts. In July a case of smallpox occurred on a ship which
docked at Tilbury and a list was received from the Port Health
Authority of persons who travelled on this ship who were
proceeding to addresses in this Borough.
All of these persons were visited daily by the Sanitary
Inspectors until all danger of the disease developing had passed,
and where necessary, arrangements were made for vaccination
or re-vaccination. Fortunately, no case of smallpox occurred
in Camberwell during the year.
Dysentery.
There were 17 notifications of dysentery received during
the year, 13 of which were subsequently confirmed. The
majority of them were due to infections from Bact. Sonnei. The
infectivity of this organism is very great. There is reason to
believe that many cases are not notified. Clinically the disease
was mild in type and there were no deaths. The fact that a
case is mild in type should not obviate the necessity for notification,
in view of its danger to the community.
Food Poisoning.
Food poisoning is due either to an infection or a toxin.
In the infection type of food poisoning the individual has ingested
living organisms, usually of the salmonella or dysentery group.
The toxin type is usually due to staphylococcus pyogenes.
The foods commonly associated with food poisoning are those
in which bacterial multiplication can take place.
The following return of food poisoning notifications for
1950 is reproduced in the form required by the Ministry of
Health: —
ANNUAL RETURN OF FOOD POISONING NOTIFICATIONS (Corrected)
1. Local Authority—CAMBERWELL. Year : 1950.
2. FOOD POISONING NOTIFICATIONS (Corrected) RETURNED TO R.G
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
TOTAL
1
35
10
56
10
3. OUTBREAKS DUE TO IDENTIFIED AGENTS.
Total outbreaks — Nil. Total cases — Nil.
Outbreaks Due to :—
(a) Chemical poisons Nil.
(b) Salmonella organisms Nil.
(c) Staphylococci (including toxin) Nil.
(d) Cl. botulinum Nil.
(e) Other bacteria Nil.