London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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- 70 -
The Committee were not satisfied that the Council possessed
adequate legal powers and adequate sources of information to enable
them to discharge their duties as a food and drugs authority, and gave
instructions for the Medical Officer's report to be sent to the
Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee with a request that
further consideration should be given to the original three proposals
made by the public analyst.
FOOD POISONING
The Food and Drugs Act, 1955, requires any medical practitioner,
on becoming aware that a person is suffering or is suspected to
be suffering from food poisoning, to notify the Medical Officer of
Health.
The following table gives a summary of all cases (notified or not) brought to notice during 1961:- Food poisoning notifications (corrected)
| First quarter | |
| Second quarter | 7 |
| Third quarter | 20 |
| Fourth quarter | 7 |
| TOTAL: | 42 |
Cases otherwise ascertained 6 Fatal cases; Nil.
Particulars of outbreaks:-
| No. of outbreaks | No. of cases | Total cases | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Outbreaks | Other Outbreaks | Notified | Otherwise ascertained | |||
| Agent identified | _ | 1 | 2 | 22 | 24 | |
| Agent unidentified | - | - | - | - | ||
Single cases
| No. of cases | Total cases | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notified | Otherwise ascertained | |||
| Agent identified | 13 | 13 | ||
| Agent unidentified | 26 | — | 26 | |
| Single cases | ||||
| No. of cases | Total cases | |||
| Notified | Otherwise ascertained | |||
| Agent identified | 13 | 13 | ||
| Agent unidentified | 26 | — | 26 | |
Salmonella infections, not food-borne:-
| No. of cases notified | Otherwise ascertained | Total cases | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outbreaks - Nil | - | - | - | |
| Single cases - 1 | 1 | - | 1 | |