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
Greenwich 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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108
NOTIFICATION OF FOOD POISONING
Under the provisions of Section 26 of the Food and Drugs Act,
1955, every registered medical practitioner attending on any person
shall, if he suspects or becomes aware that any person is suffering
from food poisoning, forthwith notify such case to the Medical
Officer of Health.
There were 43 notifications received during the year compared
with 39 for the previous year, 17 for 1957, 23 for 1956, 14 for 1955,
12 for 1954 and 9 for 1953.
All cases, which were of the sporadic type, were investigated with the following results:—
| No. of Cases | Organism (if known) | No. of Hospital Cases | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Salmonella typhimurium | 2 | One hospital case-no particular food was suspected. In the other hospital case, ham was suspected but could not be verified. In two home cases faggots were suspected but this could not be confirmed. In the other nine home cases no particular food was suspected. |
| 1 | Salmonella polsdam | - | This patient, an elderly lady of 77 years was discharged from the Brook Hospital still positive having originally been admitted as a dysentery case. Food poisoning was not notified until she had been discharged. No investigation was therefore possible. |
| 29 | Unknown | - | In five cases meat pies were suspected. The following foods were suspected in individual cases; salmon, cherries, pears, chicken jelly. None of these could be verified. With regard to the other twenty cases no particular food was suspected. |
| 43 | 2 |