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One case of paratyphoid was notified. The organism was found incidentally during investigations of
a patient in hospital who was suffering from another complaint. It was not detected again, and
appears to have played an insignificant part in the illness.
Dysentery
Sonnei dysentery continued its role as a generally mild infection, often symptom-free, with occasional
acute exacerbations.
Food Poisoning
As ever, outbreaks of food poisoning kept the department busy. The commonest organism encountered
was Salmonella typhimurium, which affected a number of hospitals in the London area. There was
great anxiety over a visitor to Haringey who apparently got the infection in a hotel in another borough
and subsequently became gravely ill. Fortunately he recovered, but here was a reminder that food
poisoning is not just a brief comical episode which just happens to people, but a dangerous infection
causing acute suffering, and which can and ought to be prevented.
A Salmonella reading infection was responsible for several cases of food poisoning who were infected
during a wedding reception in Haringey. The source of the outbreak, which may have been pre-cooked
chicken, was impossible to locate because most of the guests had brought food with them.
Other salmonella infections occurring during the year were enteritidis, tennessee, infantis, bovis
morbificans, munster, oranienberg, panama and heidelberg.
Infective Hepatitis
This is the first full year in which the disease has been statutorily notifiable. We were informed of
105 cases. Surveillance of the geographical distribution of the infection was continued. An apparent
clustering of cases was found in the north-east of the borough in the latter half of the year, but
enquiries did not reveal any connection between them.
A particularly severe case occurred in an individual recently returned from Mexico: a reminder to
travellers that the revenge of Montezuma can take more than one form — and is not limited to his
own borders.
Scabies
Scabies has been making a small comeback in this country, and was made notifiable in the whole of
Haringey (previously it was just Tottenham) since 1st April 1969. The actual number notified was
155, but if one projects the figures from the known rates this would be equivalent to 137 in the whole
borough for the second, third and fourth quarters of the year, or 182 for the full year.
Extensive use has been made of the treatment facilities provided by the Health Department.
Influenza
The Hong Kong 'flu which so unexpectedly wilted before the expected epidemic in late 1968 came
back with a vengeance at the end of 1969. Thousands fell before it, even those who had been given
the appropriate vaccine and subsequently lost their immunity in the course of time. Obviously there
is a long way to go before this hydra-headed disease can be adequately understood and brought
under control.
Smallpox
The fact that there was no smallpox in 1969 will probably arouse little interest. It may even be
thought that such a state of affairs is in the natural order of things, but this is not a view which
would have been held at the beginning of the century.
Recently, during the examination of old records in the department, there came to light a copy of the
Report of the 1901-2 epidemic of smallpox in Tottenham written by Dr. J.F. Butler-Hogan, the then
Medical Officer of Health. It proved to be such a fascinating document, combining a remarkable
grasp of the subject and lucidity of expression, "that it is well worth bringing to the attention of
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