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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Orpington 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Orpington]
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53
Food Poisoning.
Forty-four single cases were notified during 1953., but in only
seven cases were we able to identify the responsible organism.
The following is a copy of the annual return of food poisoning
notifications (corrected) furnished to the Ministry of Health:—
(1) First Quarter 10
Second Quarter 17
Third Quarter 16
Fourth Quarter 1
44
(2) Outbreaks due to identified agents:—
Total outbreaks Nil. Total cases Nil.
(3) Outbreaks of undiscovered cause:—
Total outbreaks Nil. Total cases Nil.
(4) Single cases:—
Agent identified 7 (Salmonella organisms).
Unknown cause 37.
Unless notification of food poisoning is reported within twentyfour
hours of onset, added difficulties arise in tracing the origin of
the food infected or the causative organism.
Other Infectious Diseases.
In addition to the infectious diseases enumerated above, notifications were received as under:—
| Anthrax | 1 |
| Dysentery | 23 |
| Erysipelas | 6 |
| Malaria | 1 |
| Meningococcal Infection | 1 |
| Pneumonia (all forms) ... | 96 |
Tuberculosis.
Recordings in the Register for the year ended 31st December, 1953, are as under:—
| Respiratory. | Other Forms. | Total No. of Cases. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | M. | F. | ||
| On Register at 1st January, 1953 | 349 | 302 | 69 | 69 | 789 |
| New cases notified during 1953 | 31 | 23 | — | 2 | 56 |
| Number of cases coming to knowledge after death | 1 | 2 | — | — | 3 |
| Restored to Register | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Inward Transfers | 9 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 25 |
| 391 | 341 | 70 | 72 | 874 | |
| Deletions—deaths, removals, recoveries, etc. | 11 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 36 |
| Number of cases on Register at 31 st December, 1953 | 330 | 320 | 68 | 70 | 838 |