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9
To the Right Worshipful The Mayor, Aldermen,
and Councillors of the City of Westminster.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Annual Report for 1951.
I beg to present my twenty-seventh Annual Report on the health and
sanitary conditions of the City of Westminster. This Report is prepared
in accordance with Ministry of Health Circular 42/51. The Circular
indicates generally the matters on which the Minister would wish
information, e.g., the nature and extent of any outbreaks of food
poisoning.
The year 1951, after a cold and wet spring followed by a summer
rather deficient in sunshine may have had some effect in increasing the
deaths from such respiratory conditions as pneumonia and influenzal
pneumonia and bronchitis where the number of deaths rose from 92 to 138.
There were 19 separate outbreaks of food poisoning, ten of which
were instances concerning single individuals. In investigating these
outbreaks it is the endeavour to reconcile the type of infective organism
recoverable from the suspected food with that from the sufferer and with
that from any person known to have prepared or handled the food
suspected. In many instances the three lines of inquiry cannot be
joined up in a final conclusion. It may be that none of the food suspected
remains unconsumed, or less frequently no pathogenic organisms are
traceable in those who handled the food. In most cases, however,
organisms capable of causing food poisoning are recovered from the
persons affected. Sometimes two of the three lines of inquiry seem to
achieve a common result as for instance when none of the food consumed
is available but the same type of organism is found in the patient and
in the suspected food handler, and it can reasonably be assumed that
here is an instance of cause and effect. In others where a contaminating
organism is found in the food and recovered from the patient, likewise a
reasonable assumption of cause and effect can be made. But where
nothing can be recovered from the suspected food handler or the specimen
of food itself shows no pathogenic organisms, investigations become most
disappointing for they involve long and patient effort by those engaged
on an inquiry, including the bacteriologist.
From the details of some of the outbreaks outlined on page 39 it may
be noted that in only seven of them were the results of investigations in any
degree definitive. This is in no way surprising in view of the absence
of remainders of food consumed and the transitory infectivity of suspected
human conveyors.
The incidence of other notifiable infectious disease was low. There
were no cases of Diphtheria, the very first year in the history of the City
when none has been notified. Immunization against this very insidious
and mortal disease was begun in 1925, Westminster being the second
sanitary authority in London to introduce this preventive measure—
Holborn was the first. Very few authorities throughout the country,
with the exception of Scottish towns, had adopted it before 1930. Its use
(6916) a 3