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18
With regard to Table 2, the articles marked with an asterisk
were suspected to have caused food poisoning.
In the case of two of the foods set out above (wedding cake and
cream doughnuts) organisms likely to cause food poisoning were
isolated.
The outbreak of food poisoning which resulted from the consumption
of the cream doughnuts, affected 93 people and is fully
described in the following report which is extracted from the
Minutes of the Council.
Food Poisoning: Bacillus Aertrycke Infection.
The following report, which has been submitted to us by the
Medical Officer of Health, indicates the ease with which infection
can be widely spread in a community by lack of attention to the
maintenance of the ordinary standards of cleanliness:—
On the 18th May last, a report was received that four inmates of
St. Giles' Hospital were suffering from food poisoning, the suspected
source of the infection being cream buns purchased at a local
baker and confectioner's shop on the 15th May.
Samples of synthetic cream were taken for bacteriological examination,
but there was nothing to indicate whether this was from
the same batch as that sold on the previous Saturday. No access
could be gained to the home address of the patients, as they were
all ill in hospital and so no other line of inquiry could be opened.
On the 19th May two children in the Belgrave Hospital were
reported to have eaten ice lollies on the 15th May, and to have been
taken ill the same evening. Inquiry disclosed that these children,
however, had also eaten cream buns from the confectioner
implicated, and that the third child in the family who had not
been affected ate an ice lolly but no cream bun, which was a valuable
indication that the direction in which inquiries were being pursued
was the right ore.
There was no history oi sickness or diarrhoea among the staff
employed by the baker. A piping bag and further samples were
taken for examination from the baker with the object of checking
the possible sources of infection. On the 19th May and following
days, thirty-four cases were notified by medical practitioners in
Lambeth, thirty-six cases by other persons, and twenty-three cases
were reported to have occurred outside the district, making a total
of ninety-three.
In every case the food incriminated was synthetic cream in buns,
eclairs and similar articles purchased from the one confectioner on
the 15th May and eaten either that day or a day or so after.
On the 20th May bacillus aertryche was isolated from the sample
of cream taken on the 18th May, so further inquiries were then