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15
Other Foods.—During- the year 193 visits were paid to food
shops and business premises, and the following' articles were
surrendered as unfit for human consumption:-
Ten stone of Australian beef.
Five tins of corned beef.
Six stone of coal fish.
Two tins of prawns.
Two boxes of apples.
Three tins of tomatoes.
The four bakehouses were visited on frequent occasions, and were
found to be satisfactory, except one bakehouse, which is inefficiently
lighted and ventilated; the owner has submitted proposals for
re-construction. In three instances cleansing and limewashing were
carried out at the Inspector's request.
Food Poisoning.—In March, four persons living in neighbouring
houses, who partook, on different days, of some cheese which had been
purchased in another district, were attacked from seven to nine hours
later with severe gastric pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and weakness, and
were ailing for several days. The other four inmates, who did not
partake of the cheese, had no symptoms.
The remainder of the cheese was submitted to the Ministry of
Health for examination, but no suspicious organisms were found, and it
had no ill-effect on mice which were fed on it.
The cheese had been purchased several days before it was eaten,
and inquiries failed to disclose any similar cases among the customers
of the firm from which it was obtained, so it was probable that there
had been some accidental contamination of the cheese after purchase.
Two complaints were received that milk had caused illness, and
samples were analysed, but no trace of injurious ingredients was
discovered.
Sale of Food and Drugs Acts.—The County Medical Officer of
Health informs; me that 42 samples of milk, 2 of butter and 2 of other
articles were analysed under these Acts, and that 2 samples of milk
were found to be adulterated.
(6) Prevalence of and Control over Infectious Diseases.