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the party but no record was available of the names and addresses
of the guests and considerable time was spent in trying to trace
possible contacts. Altogether 11 cases spread over five boroughs
are known to have arisen through attendance at the party.
The fourth case of typhoid fever was a medical
practitioner on the staff of one of the London hospitals.
Numerous enquiries were made but no evidence was forthcoming
as to the source of infection.
The vast majority of notification certificates received
were in respect of measles. Altogether there were 1,028 cases,
the main epidemic being spread over the months of February to
June. It is pleasing to record that there were no deaths.
The total number of cases of notifiable diseases,
omitting measles, in the last five years is shown in the table
below. The figure for 1955 is the lowest for this five year
period. The figures show a steady improvement.
1951 595 cases
1952 453 "
1953 460 "
1954 444 "
1955 38l "
No case of smallpox was notified in the Borough
during the year. In March notification was received that a
vessel had arrived in the Port of London and had had a case of
smallpox on board. 20 passengers from the ship came to addresses
in Hampstead and were kept under observation for the appropriate
period.
FOOD POISONING
Two outbreaks of food poisoning affected a hospital
but in neither instance were patients affected. The first
outbreak, in January, appeared to be caused by meat stew
consumed in the refectory. Two strains of B. Welchii were
isolated from the stew. Altogether 46 cases among staff
occurred but only 11 were resident in Hampstead and are
included in Hampstead statistics. In June five cases were
notified after a meal of soup, veal stew, vegetable and sweet,
at the same hospital. Four of these cases lived outside the
Borough. Cl. Welchii was isolated from stools but it was not
Possible to examine the suspected article of food, veal pie,
as this was completely disposed of.