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43
Bacteriological examination of fa:ces of one patient gave a
negative result.
In the majority of the cases, the illness commenced within a
few hours after eating the silverside of beef and in one case ham,
and lasted about forty-eight hours. The principal symptoms were
severe sickness, vomiting, diarrhoea and collapse and, so far as could
be ascertained, were not associated with a rise of temperature.
On the evidence available, it would appear that a portion or
portions of 57£ lbs. of silverside of beef sold on Friday, the 15th
June, had in some way become contaminated, and that Saturday's
supply, the 16th June, had practically escaped such contamination.
It would also seem that there was some contamination of the cooked
ham sold on the afternoon of the 18th June. The contamination
was probably bacterial in nature, the organisms producing the toxin
having been destroyed in the process of cooking.
It is of interest to note that later in the year two further cases
of food poisoning occurred, one on the 8th September and the
other on the 20th September ; in the first case after eating boiled
ham, and in the second cooked brisket of beef. The ham and beef
were purchased from the shop associated with the previous outbreak.
The illness resulting from the consumption of the ham might be
ascribed to a staphylococcus toxin since staphylococcus aureus was
present in rather large numbers in the ham. No further cases
occurred.
Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act, 1928.—During the year
under review 998 samples of food, drugs, etc., were obtained by
the Council's Inspectors and submitted to the Public Analyst for
examination. Of this number 303 were purchased formally in
accordance with the provisions of the above-named Act, and the
remaining 695 were obtained informally as "test" samples.
Eighteen, or 5.7 per cent, of the formal samples were certified
as adulterated or below standard by the Public Analyst, compared
with 4.8 per cent, in 1933.