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39
OUTBREAK OF ILLNESS DUE TO CONTAMINATED MILK.
I received information of the above from a doctor who was attending a
waitress employed at a large restaurant in the Borough, who was seriously ill. I
at once made detailed enquiries, and found that ten waitresses and two men of the
kitchen staff were away ill.
I visited them at their homes, which were mostly in the outlying parts of
London, and from these detailed enquiries, and at the restaurant, I found that the
only food, that all the persons who were ill had eaten in common, was milk, all
of them, with one doubtful exception, having had it in the form of junket, or
custard, or both. I found that the Dairy Company supplying the milk to this
Branch, did not supply any other Branch, and that there had been no other
similar illness at any other Branch. The Dairy Company informed me that they
were unable to trace the farm from which the milk was obtained. All the
patients suffered from severe vomiting, diarrhoea and fever.
The milk food was eaten between 3 and 4 in the afternoon, and all the
illnesses began the following day, some quite early in the morning.
The milk was probably contaminated with sewage or horse dung, containing
the bacillus enteritidis sporogenes, which has been the cause of similar outbreaks.
ICE CREAM.
During the year there were 41 premises in the Borough where ice cream was
manufactured or sold, and in addition to my inspections, 92 inspections of these
premises were made. One notice was served for sanitary defects.
As ice cream is often made in the early morning, inspections between 6 and
9 a.m. were also occasionally made in order to ascertain whether there were any
infringements of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1902. One
such infringement was found, see Table XI.
UNSOUND FOOD.
Applications were received for removal and destruction as trade refuse of the
following articles of food, all of which were unsound and unfit for the food
of man:—
449 crates Bananas. 15 tins Peaches.
139 bundles Tomatoes. 10 14 lbs. Tins Eggs.
21 boxes Dried Fruits (assorted). 2 boxes Cod.
1 case Herrings.
OFFENSIVE FUMES FROM FACTORIES.
During the year four new oil engines were provided by an Electric Supply
Company; much nuisance was caused by offensive fumes emitted from the
chimney shaft receiving the exhaust pipes from these engines, and many
complaints were received.