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per cent. of lend. All these surfaces were subsequently cleaned off and repainted under the
public health inspector's supervision. The report also mentioned that this child, as a baby,
was in the habit of eating dirt lying inside and outside the house.
The second reference concerned a 3½ year old child also in hospital with a raised blood
lead level and a story of licking the paint from the walls of her home. The public health
inspector made his investigation of the premises and confirmed evidence of some surfaces
being bitten or chewed. As a result numerous samples were taken and the public analyst reported
as follows:-
Paint scrapings from bannisters 0.33% lead
Wall plaster 0.07% lead
Yellow paint from wooden toy trolley 2.75% lead
Soil 0.07% lead
In the light of the above, the inspector revisited the premises and arranged with the
owner to remove all the paintwork which was considered to be the most probable cause of the
lead poisoning. The paint was removed by burning, and satisfactorily repainted.
The third concerned a reference from another Authority regarding the purchase of a
humming top, painted in red and supplied bv a wholesaler in Islington. This showed on analysis
that the proportion of lead in the paint substantially exceeded the maximum prescribed by the
regulations. As a result of investigations it was ascertained that the tops were made in West
Germany. Subsequently, all those Local Authorities with retailers in their areas who had been
supplied with these toys were informed.
The final reference concerned information received from the Home Office regarding a high
lead content found in two brands of eye cosmetics, imported from India and Pakistan and
popular among Indian and Pakistani women. It was also reported that these substances were
used on childrens' eyes as an ointment. Lead poisoning could result if these products found
their way into the body in food. Whilst the Home Office were to ensure, with the co-operation
of importers, that the importation from India and Pakistan of cosmetic compounds containing
lead ceased, people in possession of these cosmetics were advised to stop using and dispose
of them. All medical practitioners were advised of this warning. All sampling of oriental
cosmetics carried out by the Pood Inspectors gave negative results.
LEPTOSPIROSIS AND ANKYLOSTOMIASIS
Information was received of a male aged 36 years who was admitted to hospital in October
suffering from Jaundice, onset being two days previously. Laboratory tests showed that he was
suffering from leptospirosis and ankylostomiasis. Domiciliary investigations were carried out
by the public health inspector and it was ascertained that the patient, his wife and six
children occupied the whole of a terraced house. Reports of rat infestation in this house had
been received on various occasions and treatment had been carried out by the Council's rodent
operative some 3 months previously. It is possible that infestation may have been associated
with the keeping of hens in an adjacent property. These are no longer kept and no evidence of
rat infestation was apparent at the time of the visit. The patient, who had never been abroad
apart from Eire, had been employed as a general labourer on a casual basis by a number of
civil engineering contractors. The source of the infections remained undetermined.
TYPHOID AND PARATYPHOID FEVER
There was (a) one confirmed case of typhoid fever and (b) one confirmed paratyphoid
fever case during the year as follows:-
(a) A 24 years old Islington housewife was admitted to hospital on 14th April 1968 diagnosed
as suffering from typhoid fever and subsequently transferred to an isolation hospital on
27th April.
The hospital reported that present with her clinical story a four -fold rise of typhi 0
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