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FOOD POISONING.
Only on two occasions during the year was any suspicion of
such brought to the notice of the Public Health Department.
(1) A male member of a household had partaken of a meat
pastry and about two hours later complained of headache. Four
hours later vomiting commenced which was repeated throughout
the night being accompanied by diarrhoea. All the relevant
circumstances were investigated, the meat pastry being traced
to its source, and, at the same time, bacteriological investigation
of faeces of the patient was also undertaken at the Ministry
of Health. At the Ministry of Health laboratory no bacterial
cause of food poisoning was found in the meat pastry, the pies
were, in fact, practically free from living bacteria. The patient's
excreta also proved negative on bacteriological examination.
The bacteria of Sonne Dysentery, as well as the Salmonellas
were not separated. It has to be remembered, of course,
that these bacilli may disappear very rapidly after the acute
stage of food poisoning has passed. The origin of the pie was
without the Borough, but the Medical Officer of Health of the
area was communicated with and no illness amongst the staff
of the bakery was elicited. Throughout the investigation the
Public Health Department obtained complete co-operation from
the firm from which the pies had been bought.
(2) A person was reported to have suffered from urticaria
and to have been inclined to associate this with a "nerve food "
which was being taken. A sample of the food was obtained
and a partial chemical analysis of it revealed that it contained
phosphates and casein, the sample being, therefore, of the
sanatogen type, consisting of casein and glycerophosphates.
Enquiry elicited that the patient had as a rule no undue reaction
following the drinking of milk, suggesting the probability that
the urticaria and nerve food were not, in fact, related.
SHELLFISH.
There are no shellfish beds or layings in the Borough.
Enquiries were made in the latter part of the year of all the
local fishmongers as to the sources of supply of the shellfish
sold by them. Eleven fishmongers obtained supplies from
Billingsgate Market, one firm obtained its supplies from Port
Navas, near Falmouth, Cornwall, and from Helford River, near
Falmouth. With regard to oysters, 5 firms stated that they had
very little sale for oysters, but that special orders were executed
when required, by obtaining their supplies from Billingsgate;
whilst in 5 other cases the firms stated that they had no demand
for oysters.
No action was found to be necessary under the Public
Health (Cleansing of Shellfish) Act, 1932, or the Public Health
(Shellfish) Regulations, 1934.
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