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124
Food Poisoning.— 32 cases were notified, most of them being attributed
to eating meat or fish. The following cases were of interest :
9 of the cases referred to a party of male students from a hospital in
the Borough who ate oysters whilst on a visit to Burnham on Crouch. They
were taken ill with diarrhoea and vomiting, they all recovered.
One case was that of a man who had eaten some meat pie bought in
Croydon. Bacillus aertrycke having been isolated in his stools. He was
unable to state the vendors of the pies. He recovered.
Another case was that of a man aged 68 who was admitted to a local
hospital on the 7th September. He was moribund on admission and had
extreme vomiting and diarrhoea; he died 3 days afterwards. At the
inquest it was stated that the post-mortem examination revealed inflamed
condition of lower intestine and after bacteriological examination, the hospital
physician was able to isolate Bacillus aertrycke—a bacillus of the salmonella
group, and in his opinion the invasion of the bacillus could only be through
the mouth by ingestion. Death was due to toxaemia and dehydration as a
result of the invasion of the specfic bacillus. The bacillus may have been
introduced into the household by the presence of a rat found and destroyed
on the premises a week earlier. The coroner stated in the absence of the
body of the rat the death could not be definitely attributed to this cause.
He recorded a verdict of "Death by misadventure," the cause of death being
toxaemia and dehydration due to the invasion of Bacillus aertrycke. For the
past 25 years the patient had attacks of vomiting and diarrhoea once or twice
a year. He had dysentery for many years whilst in H.M. Forces in South
Africa.
4 Cases occurred in another family— the husband and wife died, though no
particular food Was suspected. On the 12th August the husband and wife had
an attack of diarrhoea and sickness, and their two children were sick during the
night. They were attended by a doctor and on the following day the 13th
August the wife and the 2 children were admitted to hospital. The next day
the 14th August the woman died and a post-mortem was held. The only food
in the house were portions of batter pudding, meat and dripping; these and
portions of the organs were examined.
On the examination of the organs the pathologist isolated Bacillus aertrycke,
but with regard to the food no bacteria were found that could be the cause of
food poisoning or other bacteriological disease. An inquest was held on the
16th August and was adjourned.