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12
An increase in the incidence of the disease during the present year was noted in
the week ended 9th October (when 18 notifications were received); and, including
that week, 754 cases were notified to the end of the year (giving a weekly average
for the 13 weeks of 58), compared with 162 during the fist 39 weeks (a weekly
average of 4.3). The highest weekly number of notified cases was 124 in the week
ended 5th December. During the week ended 1st January, 1938, the number of
notifications had fallen to 76. The incidence of the disease was more or less evenly
distributed throughout London and no common source of infection was apparent.
Food
poisoning
In 1937 (52 weeks) particulars of 458 cases of food poisoning notified to the
borough medical officers of health under the provisions of the Public Health (London)
Act, 1936, were received, compared with 382 for the year 1936. Six of the notified
cases died.
In some instances more than one member of a family was affected by illness,
but the majority were isolated cases and may have been due to idiosyncrasies of
the patients. Particulars are set out below of the groups of cases that call for
special comment.
On 29th May, a family of six in Islington were removed to hospital suffering
from food poisoning, stated to be caused through eating pressed pork. A
few days later three members of another family in the same borough were similarly
affected, the food suspected being part of the same supply. Although the Bacillus
certryclce (an organism of the food poisoning group) was isolated from the feces of
most of the patients, none of the cases was of a serious nature.
Early in July, 30 persons partook of a meal of cold boiled ham in St. Pancras.
Thirteen of the participants were affected with diarrhoea and vomiting, necessitating
the removal of four of them to hospital. All the cases recovered after a short period
of treatment.
During the last week in August, an outbreak of food poisoning, affecting 143
persons, occurred in an area including parts of Finsbury, St. Pancras and Islington.
Eighteen of the patients, of whom three died, were treated in the Council's hospitals.
The matter was investigated by the medical officers of health of the boroughs concerned,
and the cause of the outbreak was traced to a provision shop in Finsbury
which had supplied ham and corned beef. A specimen of the feces from the retail
dealer who handled the food in most, if not all, of the cases was found to contain
food.poisoning bacilli (Salmonella Gcerlner), although the man showed no signs of
illness.

Measles
The deaths from measles in 1937 numbered 24, compared with 584 in 1936 and
19 in the last non.epidemic year, 1935. The death.rate was .01 per thousand.