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of the stall had developed food poisoning following the consumption
of liver sausage.
Portions of the suspected food were sent to the Ministry of
Health Laboratory at Epsom. Upon examination the food was
found to be heavily contaminated with staphylococcus aureus. A list
of all the shops in Wimbledon which had been supplied with this
food was obtained from the manufacturers, but in all cases except one
it had been completely sold out. That portion of the food recovered
from the one shop was destroyed by the Public Health Department.
The Ministry of Health were notified of the occurrence of these
cases. They appear to have been part of a widespread outbreak
of food poisoning, in which the Ministry of Health took all necessary
steps to ascertain the source of infection and to withdraw all the liver
sausage from the retailers concerned.
Botulism.
In June, 1947. 1 was informed by the Atkinson Morlcy Hospital.
Wimbledon, that they had admitted a man suspected to be suffering
from food poisoning, who had been ill for about seven days previously.
He had lunched at a restaurant in London in company with another
man, who had also become ill and who had died.
The condition of the patient admitted to the Atkinson Morley
Hospital appeared to be very suggestive of botulism, which is a
comparatively rare form of food poisoning. The Ministry of
Health were notified. Investigations carried out centrally appeared
to indicate that the source of infection was macaroni chcese consumed
in a London restaurant.
Pemphigus Nevnatorum.
In May, 1947, a case of pemphigus neonatorum occurred at a
local nursing home. The baby was removed to the Infectious Diseases
Hospital for treatment.
Admissions of new cases were stopped until all the existing
patients had been discharged and precautionary measures, including
thorough disinfection of the rooms, bedding and equipment had been
carried out.
The following table gives an analysis of the notifications of
infectious disease received during the year
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