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The 13th case was nursed at home. The patient took ill 14 days after returning home from
3 weeks travelling in Portugal. After 3 months illness this patient was improving at the end of the
year.
One death was recorded from Typhoid Fever in 1933.
Infectious Diseases of the Nervous System—Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis, Poliomyelitis,
Encephalitis Lethargica and Acute Polio-Encephalitis.—21 cases of these diseases
were notified in 1933. 7 proved fatal, giving a fatality rate of 34 per cent, of notified cases. In
one of the fatal cases the death was attributed to Streptococcal Meningitis, the patient was not a
Willesden resident and the death therefore was not allocated to Willesden. In 1 case death was
attributed to Secondary Carcinoma of the brain, in 1 after post-mortem to Meningitis-Non Suppurative
arachnoiditis, and in 1 to Chronic Anterior Polio-myelitis. The 3 other deaths were certified
as due to Cerebro-Spinal fever.
4 deaths in all are attributed to these diseases in Willesden in Appendix A, Table II. These
are the 3 deaths due to Cerebro-Spinal Fever and one certified after post-mortem as due to Anterior
Polio-myelitis. This last case was notified in 1932.
Since the autumn of 1931, in accordance with the request of the Ministry of Health, reports
have been sent to the Ministry in cases of Cerebro-Spinal Fever, giving information desired by the
Ministry as to the use and results of anti-meningococcus serum treatment.
Whooping Cough is a notifiable disease in Willesden. 524 cases were notified during the year,
but a total of 1,042 cases coming to their knowledge were visited by the Health Visitors. There were
12 deaths from Whooping Cough all occurring in children under 5 years of age.
Non-Notifiable Acute Infectious Diseases are reported from the Public Elementary
Schools and are found by the Health Visitors during the course of home visitation.
During 1933, 511 cases of measles, which is not notifiable in Willesden, were visited by
the Health Visitors. Only 1 death was recorded from Measles in 1933.
Food Poisoning.—Four outbreaks came to the knowledge of the Health Department. The
first to be reported occurred on 7th June.
So far as could be traced 23 persons were attacked. The onset of the illness began 1 hour to
9½ hours after partaking of pressed beef. The patients suffered from abdominal pains, vomiting,
diarrhoea and headache. The severity of the illness varied.
13 persons who partook of the pressed beef did not suffer at all; of the 23 sufferers 19 remained
at home, 5 of those were rather severely attacked but the others were moderately ill; 4 persons were
removed to hospital, 2 of whom were severely ill. One of those removed to hospital died.
Enquiries showed that all these persons partook of pressed beef prepared by a local butcher.
An inspection of the premises and method of manufacture was made by the Medical Officer of Health
and the Chief Sanitary Inspector on the 9th June. The premises were clean and well-kept and the
district sanitary inspector, who accompanied the Medical Officer of Health and Chief Sanitary Inspector,
stated that the premises were always in the same condition on all previous visits that he had made there.
The butcher stated that his pressed beef was usually made from "overs" from thick flanks
and top pieces and briskets. During the Whitsun weekend he had prepared two consignments of
pressed beef from meat bought at the Central Meat Market, London, on Thursday, 1st June. The
first consignment was put into brine on Friday, 2nd June, cooked on Saturday, 3rd June, and sold on
Saturday, and Tuesday, 3rd and 6th June. This consignment produced no illness. The second
consignment was put into brine on Saturday, 3rd June, cooked on Tuesday, 6th June, and sold on
Wednesday, 7th June, but some may have been sold late on Tuesday evening, 6th June. This is the
consignment which produced the illness. The butcher had destroyed what was left of these consignments
on hearing of the illness which it had caused. He had, however, given a piece to the
Coroner's Officer which was subsequently transmitted to Dr. W. M. Scott of the Ministry of Health
Pathological Laboratory for analysis. Samples of some of the pressed beef which had not been consumed
by families were also sent to Dr. Scott for examination.
There was no illness amongst any of the employees of the butcher, or of anyone who came in
contact with the pressed beef. The same brine had been used for the preparation of both consignments.
It was prepared in the usual way and was not more than a week old when used. The butcher's usual
method of preparation of brine is to use 6 pails of Salt, 1| lbs. Saltpetre, 2 measures "Saltpanella"
and 12 pails of Water.
The brine is usually used for 7 days in the summer time and 14 days in the winter time. The
butcher has carried out this method of preparation for many years and has not previously had any
illness resulting from his preparations.