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Specimens of food remaining, of vomit and faeces, as well as nose and skin swabs from
food handling staff, were submitted for examination. CI. Welchii was isolated from two of
the faecal specimens, whilst the roast beef showed a staphylococcus aureus organism present.
A staphylococcus organism was also found to be present in the swabs submitted from some of
the canteen staff.
Finally it was concluded that, due to (a) the inconclusive nature of the bacteriological
results, (b) the fact that no single item of food was implicated and (c) several patients
reporting symptoms some days after the incident, as well as subsequent family spread in at
least one case, this outbreak was most probably due to an unknown virus associated with
epidemic vomiting.
Accidental Hypothermia
A communication from the Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health, dealing with the
above subject, was received together with a report of a Committee on Accidental Hypothermia
of the Royal College of Physicians, London. The report summarizes the results of a survey
made by 10 widely distributed Hospital Groups in England and Scotland during the months
February to April, 1965.
Staff whose duties included the well-being of old people and young children were
reminded of the dangers of accidental hypothermia and that they should as a first step inform
the general practitioner of the patient in any case where this condition was suspected. They
and the general practitioners were asked to notify any cases where they considered there was
a hypothermia risk in the home and where the health department might be able to assist in
ameliorating these conditions.
Tuberculosis
In 1967, 163 new notifications were received, with age and sex distribution as follows:-
0- 1- 2- 5- 10- 15- 20- 25- 35- 45- 55- 65- 75- Total
M - 1 3 4 1 6 8 26 15 11 18 10 4 107
Pulmonary F--2225158234 - 34
M---1- 2 152- 11
Non-Pulmonary p . 5 1 3 2 - - - n
Totals ... 1 5 7 3 13 15 37 28 15 21 14 4 163
The notification rate of all forms of tuberculosis was 0.64 per 1,000 population as
against 0.28 for the whole country.
The total number of cases remaining on the register after adjustment for deaths and
transfers was, on the 31st December, 1967:-
Males Females Total
Pulmonary 1,310 917 2,227
Non-Pulmonary ... 124 165 289
Totals 1,434 1,082 2,516
There were 15 tuberculosis deaths (11 pulmonary and 4 non-pulmonary) during 1967. The
death rate of all forms of tuberculosis was 0.06 per 1,000 of the population, as against
the national rate of 0.04.
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