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33
ENTERIC FEVER IN SHELL FISH.
Contaminated shell fish have again been the suggested cause of a case of enteric
fever occurring in a neighbouring Borongh.
In this case the patient partook of Whelks purchased by a retailer from a
wholesale merchant at Billingsgate Market.
The onset of illness and the date of consumption of the whelks rendered enquiry
into the circumstances necessary. It was found that the shell fish in question
had been obtained from Brancaster. Samples of the whelks from that district were
obtained by the Inspector of the Fishmongers Company and the following report
by Professor Eyre thereon was forwarded to me by Sir John Wrench Towse, the
Clerk to the Fishmongers Company:—
"Sample of Cooked Whelks No. E. 286.—Sample of whelks taken 15th July, 1921, by
"Inspector Hattersley from the premises of T. M. Wright, Billingsgate Market, which had
"been consigned to him by W. Softley, Brancaster Staith, by King's Lvnn."
26th July, 1921.
Re Sample of Cooked Whelks No. E. 286.
"Six shell fish were examined from this particular batch. Of these, each was heavily
"infected with B. coli associated with bacteria of the coli.typhoid group, Streptococcus
"faecalis, bacillus enteritidis sporogenes, etc., indicating dangerous contamination with
"sewage. This result further suggests that the cooking process to which the shell fish had
"been subjected had been inefficiently carried out.
"From plate cultures subsequently prepared, numerous lactose non.fermenting bacilli
"were isolated; many of these proved to be merely coli varients, but one is still under
"investigation on account of its close relationships with the ' Strong ' and ' Harris ' types of
" B. dysenteriæ .
"No typhoid or para.typhoid bacilli could be detected.
(Signed) Jno. Eyre."
Sir J. Wrench Towse sent a copy of this report to the Medical Officer of Health
for Brancaster and asked him to warn all whelk merchants in his district that if,
in future, whelks were not thoroughly cooked the sale would be prohibited in London.
I expressed the hope that the Medical Officer of Health for the district would
go further than this insistence on cooking, and deal with the contamination by
prohibiting the sale of such whelks until the conditions were improved. Later,
Sir J. Wrench Towse issued instructions to prohibit the sale of the shell fish upon
the London Market until they were proved free from pollution.
HYGIENE OF HAIRDRESSERS' AND BARBERS' SHOPS.
The Registered Hairdressers' establishments throughout the City remain under
the supervision of your officers, and there are now ten proprietors of these places who
hold certificates, and have undertaken to comply with the Regulations of the Corporation
for the conduct of their business.
The following is a list of those proprietors at present on the Register:—
Walter Hartley, trading as the Army and Navy Toilet Club, 35, Bucklersbury.
Kingston and Hubbard, 8 and 10, Ludgate.
Chas. Lehman, 8 and 9, Aldermanbury Postern.
Martin Longman, 75, Mark Lane.
Thos. W. Monk, 5, Angel Court.
Marsh and Prince, 36, Coleman Street.
Pierre Pozzi, 16, Lawrence Lane.
Harry G. Wicks, trading as Arthur and Co., 42a, Old Broad Street.
The Hairdressers' establishments formerly conducted at No. 3 Mason's Court,
60, Fore Street, and 39, Basinghall Street, have been discontinued.
EXHUMATION AND RE.INTERMENT OF BODIES AT THE
CITY OF LONDON CEMETERY.
During the year the bodies of seven persons buried at the City of London
Cemetery at Ilford have been exhumed. Two of these were re.interred in the same
graves, and five in other graves in the same cemetery.
In accordance with the terms of the Licences issued by the Home Secretary
in respect of these cases, the work of removal and re.interment was carried out in
the early morning under the supervision of your Medical Officer of Health.