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33
Food Poisoning.
Only two cases were noted during 1052. It is strange how hard
dies the belief that tinned foods are prone to cause this disease. Canning
not only abroad but in this country has within the past few years made
very considerable strides and I do not think that any evidence could
be adduced of canned foods being more dangerous than any other,
although the contrary, i.e. that canned goods may be safer than those
susceptible to more frequent handling could possibly with some justification
be advanced. The emphasis apt to be laid on the alleged short
comings of canning might more appropriately be transferred to the
short comings of some food handlers. If scrupulous care in the handling
—or rather in avoiding the handling—of food were exercised and
insisted upon then an immeasurable service would be done the community.
Constant communal danger exists where there is the possibility
of an unwitting union between the susceptible food and the
carefree, not to say careless handler. Food poisoning outbreaks can
happen when care is exercised—they will happen unless it is exercised.
Disinfection.
No change in our methods has occurred.. Fresh air, sunlight,
strict personal and general cleanliness have gone far to obviate the
necessity for the more dramatic procedures of the past.
Dysentery.
The notification of two cases only is probably far from representative
of the true incidence of this disease. Unless there is a substantial
outbreak few cases with mild dysenteric symptoms are fully investigated
and as they generally resolve speedily and satisfactorily so far as clinical
appearances go, proof of actual causation of the illness is seldom sought
or obtained. Dysentery is above all a disease preventable by the inception
and practice of rigorous standards of personal hygiene. Even so
it is, in a family with young children, exceedingly difficult to check
its spread and it is perhaps fortunate that the complications of, for
example, Sonne infection are normally few.
Psittacosis.
During the course of the year we made detailed investigations into
two instances where this disease was suspected and in which there
might have been a possibility of a certain local association. The checking
up of suspect birds is clearly a matter of some difficulty but in our
experience local vendors have been able even after a considerable lapse
of time to detail with remarkable accuracy the movements of birds
which they have purchased often from foreign sources. This makes
the potential danger line reasonably well known to all concerned and
thus minimises in the ultimate the amount of unwitting danger which
may result.
It is I think very satisfactory to note that the importation of parrots
has once again been generally stopped.
Apart from other considerations the Pet Animals Act has assisted
in controlling avian establishments and the average dealer is only too
well aware that considerations of public and avian health are very
closely allied. He would not and in our experience has not risked the
possibility of a high mortality among his birds for want of proper care
and attention in the running of an establishment. Nevertheless there
may exist avian carriers of this disease and it may not always be associated
with a high avian mortality so that the reimposition of the prohibition
of importation provides that extra safeguard which should
deal effectively with what is after all a disease of considerable severity.