London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Kensington 1938

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]

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59
law regarding the false labelling of food is tightened up, and will make it an offence to give a label
which falsely describes a food or drug, or is otherwise calculated to mislead. These sections will
also make it an offence to take part in the publication of an advertisement which contains a false
description or is otherwise calculated to mislead.
Another matter which calls for some comment is the wider power given to the Minister of
Health by section 8, to make food regulations regulating generally the composition of food.
Recognition is given in the act to the increasing use of automatic machines for selling food, and
a procedure is provided for the taking of samples from these machines.
During the year under review, two dismissed summonses in respect of milk obtained from slot
machines affixed to shop doors might have succeeded had the new act been in force.
The Public Health (Condensed Milk) Regulations, 1923-27, and the Public Health (Dried Milk)
Regulations, 1923-27.—During the year, twelve samples of condensed milk and one of dried milk
were taken, and each was found to comply with the regulations in every respect.
Pharmacy and Poisons Act, 1933.—This act and the rules made thereunder, both of which
came into operation during 1936, have for their object the closer control of the sale of poisons and
poisonous substances.
The act provides for the preparation by a poisns board of a poisons list divided into two parts,
called part 1 and part 2. Part 1 contains the names of those poisons usually known as deadly,
and these may now be sold only by registered pharmacists. Part 2 contains the names of those
poisons commonly in use for domestic, horticultural, agricultural and sanitary purposes; these
may be sold, not only by registered pharmacists, but also by. traders whose names are entered in
a list kept by the local authority. Entries in such list are for a period not exceeding twelve months
and terminating on a date fixed by the local authority. When the council considered the act and
rules, they decided that all entries in their list should be in respect of the twelve months commencing
on the 1st May of each year.
It is the duty of the council to enforce the new requirements so far as they relate to the sale
of part 2 poisons (except by pharmacists, who are supervised by the Pharmaceutical Society), and
for this purpose they have appointed the medical officer of health, the deputy medical officer of
health, and the food inspector as inspectors under the act.
The number of entries in the council's list on the 31st December, 1938, was 205; 196 of these
were in respect of persons who had applied for renewal of their registration for the twelve months
ending 30th April, 1939, and the remainder were new registrations.
PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS AND
OTHER DISEASES.
Notifiable Infectious Diseases.
The following diseases are compulsorily notifiable in Kensington:—
Anthrax. Polio-encephalitis (acute).
Cerebro-spinal fever. Poliomyelitis (acute).
Cholera. Pneumonia (acute influenzal).
Continued fever. Pneumonia (acute primary).
Diphtheria. Puerperal fever.
Dysentery. Puerperal pyrexia.
Encephalitis lethargica (acute). Relapsing fever.
Enteric fever. ‡ Rheumatism (acute) in children under
Erysipelas. sixteen years of age.
Food poisoning. Scarlatina or scarlet fever.
Glanders. Smallpox.
Hydrophobia. Typhoid fever.
Malaria. Typhus fever.
† Measles. Tuberculosis.
Membranous croup. †Whooping cough.
Ophthalmia neonatorum. *Zymotic enteritis in children under five
Plague. years of age.
† Measles and whooping cough became notifiable on 1st October, 1933, but no notification is required if a
previous case in the household has been notified within the past two months.
‡ Acute rheumatism in children under 16 years of age became notifiable in Kensington in 1927. It is also
notifiable in Paddington and Holborn.
* Zymotic enteritis in children under 5 years of age became notifiable in Kensington m 1924. The other
London boroughs in which this disease is notifiable are Fulham, Finsbury, Poplar, Southwark, Deptford,
Greenwich. Woolwich and Paddington.

Table showing Notifications of certain Infectious Diseases received in 1934-38.

Year.Small-pox.Scarlet fever.Diphtheria.Enteric fever.Erysipelas.Ophthalmia neonatorum.Puerperal fever.Puerperal pyrexia.Pneumonia.Malaria.Encepha-litis lethargica.P. m'itis & polioencephalitis.Acute rheumatism.spinal meningitis.Dysentery.Enteritis.Totals.
1934-549360780104201772225645521,330
193530433876311730136521282659999
193628914286612132117723486778872
1937233193147281135216385236484996
19382381561449116369864968550804

Cases of mistaken diagnosis are excluded from the above table.