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At the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Health issued a Circular enclosing a copy
of a statement made to Parliament concerning the Government's policy on smoking. The Circular
stated that the Government felt that in places such as cinemas, restaurants and theatres,
proprietors should consider the interests and wishes of their clients and customers by asking
the public not to smoke on their premises, or by setting aside parts of large premises, such
as restaurants, for non-smokers. The Health Committee directed that a copy of the statement
be sent to the proprietors of all catering premises in the borough.
DIPHTHERIA
No cases of diphtheria came to the notice of the department during 1967.
Particulars relating to children immunised against diphtheria will be found on page 97.
DYSENTERY
Notified cases of dysentery totalled 50, compared with 181 during the previous year.
An outbreak of diarrhoea occurred in a Nursery School. Faecal specimens were taken from
14 suspects, and organisms of shigella sonne were isolated in 6 cases.
Particular attention is paid to personal hygiene during an outbreak, paper hand-towels
and hand-dipping solution are issued and surfaces which are touched by children when using
the water-closet are frequently cleansed with disinfectant The staffs of schools and
nurseries keep constant vigilance for incidents of diarrhoea and vomiting and advise the
Health Department of suspected cases among absentees so that they may be followed up by the
public health inspectors
ENTERIC FEVER
No cases were notified during the year.
FOOD POISONING
There were 78 notifications of food poisoning during the year. Organisms of Salmonella
typhi-murium were isolated in 6 cases, 3 being in one family and 3 were sporadic cases. Eight
persons infected by Clostridium welchii were discovered in an outbreak at an old people's
home. The source of infection was not traced. Organisms of Salmonella newport and Salmonella
thompson were found in two instances and Salmonella dublin in one family outbreak. 16
outbreaks were reported to the Ministry of Health as required by Memorandum 188 Med. issued by
the Ministry.
The number of cases of food poisoning and Salmonella infection in 1966 in England and
Wales was the lowest recorded during the last decade, and as in previous years, the foods most
frequently incriminated were meat products, mainly pre-cooked or made-up meat dishes,
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