London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Woolwich 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
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In his certificate he must state the name, age and sex of the person, the full postal
address and particulars of the food poisoning from which the person is suffering or
suspected to be suffering.
The number of notifications received during the year was 37. With two exceptions,
where two persons and three persons respectively were involved, these were
all single cases.
The age and sex distribution of the cases notified is shown in the following
Table, No. 31 :—
TABLE No. 31.
Cases of Food Poisoning Notified during 1934:—
| Age Periods. | Male. | Female. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 | - | - | - |
| 1 and under 5 | 3 | — | 3 |
| 5 and under 10 | 2 | — | 2 |
| 10 and under 15 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 15 and under 20 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 20 and under 35 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| 35 and under 45 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 45 and under 65 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 65 and over | — | — | — |
| 22 | 15 | 37 |
The medical practitioner notifying is required to state on his certificate the food
he suspects. In 14 instances meat, in one or other form— pork, rabbit, sausage,
beef, minced ham, meat pie, etc.— was suspected; in 11 instances fish— fresh,
fried or tinned; in 6 instances fruit—fresh or tinned; in 3 instances ice cream;
in 1 instance cream; in 1 instance fried chip potatoes, and in 1 instance mincemeat.
Most of the cases were slight in character and there were no deaths.