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The Public Health (Condensed Milk) Regulations, 1923-27, and the Public Health (Dried Milk)
Regulations, 1923-27.—During the year, three samples of condensed milk and six of dried milk
were taken, and each was found to comply with the regulations in every respect.
Food Poisoning.—Section 7 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1932, requires
every doctor in London to notify the medical officer of health of any person whom he suspects or
finds to be suffering from food poisoning. During the year, 334 cases were notified in London.
The number notified in Kensington was 23 ; there were 18 in the Golborne ward, four in the
St. Charles ward, and one in the Brompton ward. It will be observed that with one exception, all
the Kensington cases occurred in the northern part of the borough, where the majority of the
poorer residents live. In the one case in South Kensington, the patient lived in a mews dwelling.
In one case the illness proved fatal. The patient was a woman who ate some sausages and the
following morning fell ill with diarrhoea and sickness. She was worse the following day, and a
doctor was called in. As her condition was more serious the next day, she was removed to hospital,
where she died a few hours later. A post-mortem examination showed that death was due to food
poisoning. The sausages suspected were bought in a neighbouring borough, and the circumstances
were notified to the medical officer of health concerned.

A number of articles of food were submitted to the bacteriologist for examination, but in no
case was a report received regarding the presence of any of the salmonella group of organisms.
Careful enquiries were made in all the cases notified, and it is clear that there was no outbreak
of food poisoning in the borough. Many of the cases notified must be regarded as suspicious rather
than as actual cases of food poisoning ; with the exception of the fatal case, the illness was invariably
mild.
Pharmacy and Poisons Act, 1933.—This Act, which has for its object closer control over the sale
of poisons and poisonous substances than has hitherto been the case, was passed in 1933 and will
come into operation on the "appointed day," which has not yet been fixed. Part 2 of the Act
provides for the preparation of a list of poisons divided into two parts, part 1 of which will contain
the names of those poisons which may not be sold except by a person who is an "authorised seller"
and part 2, the names of those poisons which may not be sold except by an "authorised seller"
or a person whose name appears in the register of a local authority.
During the year there was issued a draft poisons list in which those poisons usually regarded as
deadly were given in part 1 and those usually contained in substances used for agricultural, horticultural,
industrial and sanitary purposes in part 2. Inspectors approved by the Pharmaceutical
Society will enforce the law in regard to part 1 poisons ; but it will be the duty of the council to
keep a register of persons selling part 2 poisons, to carry out inspections of the premises concerned,
and to enforce the requirements relating to the proper marking and storage of the poisons. For this
purpose the medical officer of health and the food inspector have been appointed inspectors under
the Act.