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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Marylebone 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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Investigation was also made into the question of cracked cups. The possible prohibition of the use
of cracked and chipped crockery in catering establishments was considered by the Metropolitan
Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee in 1947, when they were advised that there was no conclusive
evidence that the diseases, loosely termed " trench mouth," were contracted from such crockery.
It was then suggested that in dealing with the problem local authorities should rely on the enforcement
of the requirements of Section 13 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, under which cleanliness is enjoined
in respect of " all articles, apparatus and utensils " in any room in which food is " prepared for sale
or sold or offered or exposed for sale or deposited for the purpose of sale or of preparation for sale."
The Advisory Body of Medical Officers of Health are unaware of anything which has occurred to
invalidate the Standing Joint Committee's decision. They feel, however, that the matter should not
be treated lightly. From its own enquiries the Association is satisfied that, because defective crockery
undoubtedly harbours bacteria and other organisms and is therefore always a possible source of danger,
cracked cups should not be tolerated, more particularly now that the position with regard to the
supply of chinaware is easier. In this connection and from the point of view of hygiene generally,
a great deal of the responsibility rests upon the pubhc themselves. So long as customers are content
to put up with second-rate service and to patronise restaurants and food establishments which give
it, so long will one of the chief incentives for better conditions be lacking.
The St. Marylebone Clean Food Association is representative of the best elements in the food trades
and catering industry in the Borough and is worthy of full support.
SECTION F.—PREVALENCE OF, AND CONTROL OVER, INFECTIOUS
AND OTHER DISEASES.
Infectious and other diseases notifiable in St. Marylebone are listed in Table 7, which gives also
information regarding notifications received during 1953. Enquiries relating to cases of infectious
disease were carried out by one of the women sanitary inspectors who paid 945 visits in this
connection during the year.
| * Notifiable Disease | Cases notified in whole Borough | Cases removed to hospital | Cases isolated at home | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At all ages | At ages—years | ||||||||||||||
| —1 | 1— | 2— | 3— | 4— | 5— | 10- | 15- | 20— | 35— | 45- | 65— | ||||
| Ophthalmia neonatorum | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Erysipelas | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Scarlet fever | 44 | — | — | 1 | 3 | 6 | 29 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 10 | 34 |
| Puerperal pyrexia | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 23 | 2 | — | — | 26 | 1 |
| Poliomyelitis— | |||||||||||||||
| Paralytic | 6 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 4 | 2 |
| Non-paralytic | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 |
| Pneumonia | 16 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | I | — | 5 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| Dysentery | 13 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | 11 | |
| Measles | 429 | 13 | 42 | 54 | 70 | 65 | 159 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 2 | _ | 19 | 410 |
| Whooping cough | 71 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 27 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 68 |
| Scabies | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | — | 1 | _ | _ | 8 |
| Meningococcal infection | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| TyphoidFever | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Tuberculosis— | |||||||||||||||
| Pulmonary | 78 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 4 | 37 | 18 | 10 | 4 | 38 | 40 |
| Non-pulmonary | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Food poisoning | 18 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 12 | — | 14 | 4 |
| Totals | 730 | 29 | 52 | 66 | 84 | 85 | 221 | 16 | 18 | 83 | 26 | 35 | 15 | 134 | 596 |
* There were no cases in the Borough of the following diseases which are also notifiable : Smallpox,
diphtheria, membranous croup, cholera, typhus fever, relapsing fever, continued fever, plague, leprosy,
hydrophobia, glanders, farcy, anthrax, induced malaria, malaria, acute encephalitis (infective or
post-infectious), paratyphoid fever.
Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations, 1953.—-These regulations, which came into operation
on the 1st April, 1953, are generally similar to those issued in 1927, which they supersede, with
amendments necessitated by the present working of the health services. The new regulations also
amplify the precautionary measures against food poisoning (i) by relating these (instead of to enteric