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Several enquiries were received in regard to persons who had recently returned to
Islington from Aberdeen. It was suggested that if any such visitors were brought to
the specific notice of a practitioner, in regard to the desirability, or otherwise, of
precautionary measures, the Medical Officer of Health would be pleased to advise
having regard to the circumstances of any particular case. Conversely this department
arranged to communicate with the practitioner concerned, regarding a person brought to
the notice of the department for any reason which could possibly be connected with the
outbreak.
The Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health had advised, as a precautionary
measure, due to the association of cold cooked meat, including corned beef, with the
Typhoid epidemic, that 6-lb. tins of corned beef processed within certain dates should
be held back, although there was no proof at the time that these tins carried special
risk.
All establishments in the borough connected with food were informed that if they
held any tins in these categories, the department should be informed immediately.
There was no evidence against smaller tins.
A communication was also sent, as a precautionary measure, to all establishments
connected with food requesting information of visits to and from Aberdeen by any of
their employees.
The Ministry of Health and the Scottish Home & Health Department had advised that
apart from special groups of people in constant daily contact with the disease, such
as hospital staffs, inoculation was not desirable as a routine protective measure
during the epidemic.
Reports of 7 groups of contacts of Typhoid & Paratyphoid "B" Fever were also
investigated during the year as below:-
1. A boy aged 7 years, not resident in Islington, was found to be suffering from
Typhoid Fever.
An Islington family who were in contact with the patient during the incubation
period was investigated. All bacteriological examinations proved negative.
2. A Steward was admitted to hospital from a ship which docked at Tilbury on the
4th May, and was found to be suffering from Salmonella typhi.
The patient joined the ship on the 7th April in Bombay and reported sick on the
28th April. The date of onset was, therefore, likely to be on or about the 24th April.
A crew member who proceeded to an Islington address was investigated. Bacteriological
examinations proved negative.
3. A 2-year old boy, residing outside the Borough, was admitted to an Isolation
Hospital and subsequently diagnosed as typhoid fever.
It was reported that this child had been cared for during the day at an address
in Islington.