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- 72 -
When this incident was brought to my notice on the afternoon of
Friday, 31st July, an immediate visit was paid to the household, but
further enquiries could not be pursued as the occupants had left for a
fortnight's holiday. Nevertheless steps were taken forthwith to stop
the sale of the tinned salmon which had been used in preparing the
mousse. Two brands purchased in different shops were involved. In
one case the shopkeeper had already had a complaint from the affected
purchaser, as a result of which the wholesalers had withdrawn his
complete stock and sent it to their Liverpool laboratories for examination,,
In the other case, eight tins, including one recovered from
the purchaser's premises, were taken at random from the remaining stock
and sent for bacteriological and chemical examination.
Although some of the mousse had remained uneaten, it had been
disposed of before the doctor summoned to attend the victims could take
a sample for examination. He did, however, retrieve the two salmon
tins which had been in the refuse pail and a dustbin during the previous
ten hours. Despite the fact that in one of these tins some germs were,
not surprisingly, discovered, these were not of a type likely to cause
food poisoning. In any event, the sudden and violent features of the
illnesses were quite different from the history, timing, mode of onset
and symptoms encountered in bacterial food poisoning. These illnesses
indeed suggested acute poisoning by a substantial amount of some
powerful tasteless, odourless, non-corrosive chemical agent. The
results of the bacteriological examinations of the tins of salmon
taken from stock showed no evidence of contamination with food poisoning
germs. Both the Liverpool analyst and the Chelsea Public
Analyst found no trace of poisonous chemicals in the tins of salmon.
Other ingredients of the mousse were submitted to chemical analysis
with negative results, as also was some wine of the type consumed by
the guests in the early stages of the meal. No other items of food
or drink common to all the sufferers could be inculpated.
However, a further consideration of the symptoms complained of
suggested the possibility of a chemical poisoning, most likely of the
organo-chlorine type. The only substance of this kind that I was
able to discover in the flat was gammexane in the form of Aerovap
tablets. I accordingly communicated with the manufacturers, who
advised me that the Aerovap tablets each contained 1 gram of gamma
isomer of benzene hexachloride. They stated that the median lethal
dose for a man weighing 60 Kg. would be expected to be 12 tablets.
On the basis of a previous instance they assumed that the symptoms
complained of by the guests at the dinner party could have been
produced if they each had three or four tablets. They continued:"Since
they had previously consumed wine the rate of absorption
would presumably be increased and the solubility of this kind of
substance in the stomach contents would be increased also. It is
conceivable that symptoms of toxicity under these circumstances might
supervene in 15 minutes or so, although the usual interval is said to
be one to two hours."
At the suggestion of the Director of the National Poisons
Information Centre, I sent a sample of blood from one of the more
severely affected sufferers for examination. I received a report as
follows:-