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refrigerator. At the same time a large metal vessel was filled with the liquid in
which the mutton had been boiled and this was allowed to cool for about an hour and
then it was placed in the refrigerator.
It will be seen, therefore, that both joint and stock were in a large volume
and that quick cooling would be unlikely.
The meat was removed from the refrigerator about 11 a.m. on the following day,
cut into slices and then re-heated for 15 minutes in the gravy prepared from the
stock.
This meat was probably slightly contaminated with Clostridium Welchii after
boiling on Wednesday, 14th September, when it remained for some considerable time at
a temperature suitable for large scale culture of the organism. If the meat had been
eaten on the same day it was cooked the opportunity for culture would not have
occurred.
In order to minimise the risk of this type of outbreak in the future, the
following practice has been adopted in school kitchens.
1. No meat is to be cooked and reheated before it is served.
2. If butchers meat or ham is to be cooked and served cold the following day,
the meat must be cooked. rapidly cooled, and placed in the refrigerator
only when it is cold.
3. In some cases it is advisable to break down the larger joints to enable
them to cool rapidly.
The outbreak caused only a mild illness but it aroused the interest of the
pupils in food poisoning and food hygiene to such an extent that it was thought
appropriate to show them the film "Another case of food poisoning".
This film show was followed by a very interesting discussion in which the pupils,
staff, Senior Sanitary Inspector and Medical Officer of Health participated.
Diphtheria.
No case of diphtheria was notified during the year. The following table shows
the number of cases and the deaths from diphtheria since the inception of the
immunisation scheme in 1935:-
27