View report page

62
sitting. Thus, during the summer of 1925, when I had charge of the
hospital in a large seaside camp for boys, it was quite an ordinary
thing for boys to eat two lbs. of apples in a day.
I have noted many suggestions as to how this arsenic can be got
rid of. After careful consideration, I have formed the conclusion that
it is not possible by any means to get rid of the whole of the arsenic.
If, as the Analyst states, arsenic is present in the flesh of the fruit,,
there seems to be no means by which that can be removed. That
portion which is in the core can be removed by coring the apple, and
that upon the surface may be got rid of partially by either peeling or
washing. Of the two methods, I am of opinion that scrubbing removes
the greater portion which is there. To peel a contaminated apple that
has been unwashed, removes less, because so much of the arsenic is
transferred to the flesh of the apple by the finger-tips during the
process of peeling. It must also be borne in mind that boys are great
consumers of apples, and are neither accustomed to wash nor peel
them, eating them in the raw state.
During the year covered by this review, on several occasions there
have been outbreaks of sickness attributed to articles of food. Those
deserving of mention are the following:—
Tinned Cream and Liver Sausage of good quality were eaten by
a family in which three cases of illness occurred, causing the medical
attendant to suspect botulism. The unconsuwed portions of the articles
were submitted to the Chief Inspector of Foods of the Ministry of
Health. Samples of the stock at the shop were also sent by the
Borough Authority to the Lister Institute for examination, but all the
investigations failed to reveal any justification for attributing any
nameable disease to these food stuffs. No permanent injury resulted
from either case of illness.
Pork Sausages were thought to have been the cause of illness,
where fortunately only one member of the family partook of them.
A sample of the sausages was sent to the Ministry of Health and the
Borough Analyst. The usual mixture of bacteria were present, but
among these none of the species associated with food poisoning were
found.
Salmon and Shrimp paste was suspected on one occasion to have
caused sickness, diarrhoea, etc., in five members of a household. Samples
of this food were, examined by the Chief Inspector of Foods of the
Ministry of Health. No deleterious ingredient was found.