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82
Food Poisoning.
In 1932 a circular letter was sent to all general practitioners practising
in the Borough enclosing a form of notification. Copies of certificates
received together with reports which may be of general interest,
are sent to the County Medical Officer of Health for circulation.
During the year 31 notifications were received.
Difficulty is being experienced as "food poisoning" is not defined.
It is left to the medical practitioner attending on any patient to send a
certificate ' 'if he suspects or becomes aware that such person is suffering
from food poisoning.''
Investigations into the 31 notified cases resulted in them being
classified as follows:—
True cases 9
Personal susceptibility 5
Not true food poisoning or doubtful cases 17
The nine true cases were as follows:—
Sporadic case 1
In one family 2
In one family 6
The six cases in one family suffered from diarrhoea etc., which
lasted only a day or two. Specimens of blood from two of the six cases
gave negative results but a faecal specimen from one of the patients gave
a positive result to B. paratyphosus. (B. paratyphosus isolated in
moderate numbers. The bacillus was agglutinated by Para B serum up
to dilutions; not by B Gaertner serum.)
Certification of Certain Food Products for Export to the Dominions and
Foreign Countries.
In view of the requirements of the Food Laws in operation in the
Dominions and elsewhere, the system of certification for food products
which are derived from the flesh of cattle, sheep, swine or goats, or from
game or poultry, and are prepared or packed in England and Wales for
export, has been continued.