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cold storage overnight and delivered to her the next morning. The whole consignment was sold out
with the exception of some pieces of breast and scrag. There were no complaints from other customers
and no sickness with the butcher or his staff. The premises and cold storage were clean and in proper
order.
The third outbreak occurred at a factory which ran a small canteen for about twenty workers.
Two legs of lamb were purchased from a local butcher on Monday, 3rd July. The legs of lamb were
roasted in a gas oven on Monday, 3rd July, and were then stored in a Refrigerator and taken out and
eaten cold on Tuesday, 4th July, for lunch, 1 to 2 p.m. Salad made from lettuce, tomatoes, eggs and
cucumbers, and apple tart and custard were also eaten. Lunch was served in two separate rooms.
Seven people took lunch in one room and eleven in the other room. Ten of the eighteen people who
had eaten this meat were taken ill with severe abdominal pains and diarrhoea. One of these was in
the room where the seven lunched and nine in the room where the eleven lunched. One joint was
not specially served to one room. One joint was finished and remnants thrown away and the remains
of the other joint sent to the Ministry of Health Pathological Department for examination, but
nothing bacteriologically significant was found.
The fourth outbreak did not occur till the Autumn and was confined to one family. Two
pounds of sausages were delivered about 11 a.m. on 19th October, were put into a clean enamel pie
dish with 2 chops and some margarine and placed in the oven until cooked. They were eaten by the
3 children with cabbage and potatoes for dinner at 12.30 p.m. The father and mother did not have
any sausage.
One child complained of acute pain about 1 o'clock and later had frequent vomiting and
diarrhoea with increased abdominal pain. He was ill for about a week.
Another child complained of acute abdominal pain with diarrhoea and vomiting about 1.30 p.m.
This child took some weeks to recover.
The third child who ate only a small portion of sausage had no symptoms apart from a slight
attack of diarrhoea.
The mother and father were not ill.
Another family in the house purchased some of the same consignment of sausages at the same
time. These were cooked for breakfast the following morning but after being tasted by two members
of the family, who complained of a bitter taste, they were thrown away. No illness resulted in this
family.
There appeared no connection between the above 4 outbreaks. In all the cases the premises
from which the suspected food was obtained were satisfactory and proper care seemed to have been
taken in its storage and preparation. Neither did bacteriological and pathological examination throw
any light on the outbreaks.
It is likely that the unusually hot weather had some influence in causing the outbreaks of
food poisoning which were noted in various parts of the country.
Prevalence of Rats or Mosquitos.—Several complaints as to the presence of rats were
received. After verification the complaints were forwarded to the Inspector of Rat Destruction,
Middlesex County Council, who administer The Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act, 1919.
No complaints have been received as to the presence of mosquitos in the district.
MOTHERS AND CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS.
Municipal Centres.—At the Municipal Centres, including the Ringworm Centre, expectant
mothers attended the medical consultations on 5,740 occasions ; nursing mothers, 24,115, and children
under 5, 54,927, making a total of 84,782 attendances.
Out of the total number of 2,671 children born alive during the year, 1,536 or 58 per cent, subsequently
attended the Municipal Welfare Centres. Altogether, however, 1,801 children under 1 year
of age attended the Municipal Centres for the first time during the year. This represents 70 per cent,
of the 2,583 notified live births belonging to Willesden, and 67 per cent, of the 2,671 registered live
births belonging to Willesden. 668 children between the ages of 1 and 5 years attended the Municipal
Centres for the first time during the year.
The number of live births occurring amongst expectant mothers who attended the AnteNatal
Clinics was 980; 69 per cent. of these mothers with their babies subsequently attended the
Welfare Centres.
Hospital Maternity Cases.—
Bookings.—The following table shows the bookings year by year for hospital confinement
under the Council's schemes since hospital provision was first made by the Council for such cases:—