View report page

Hospital for observation and treatment. Final diagnosis of these
included tonsillitis (five patients), osteomyelitis, subarachnoid
haemorrage, pyrexia of undetermined origin, enteritis and Coronary
thrombosis.
MALARIA
Two cases of malaria occurred in the Borough. Both concerned
soldiers who had contracted the disease abroad. Both were confined
to the Royal Herbert Hospital for treatment.
PARATYPHOID FEVER
There were no cases of typhoid fever, but five confirmed cases
of paratyphoid fever. Investigations were made as to possible
contacts and source of infection.
FOOT) POISONING
Pew formal notifications of food poisoning were received, and
only seven of these cases were confirmed. There were no major
outbreaks. The only outbreak involved four members of a family
who, however, were not seriously ill. Australian tinned ham was
the food suspected, although it was not possible to obtain a sample
of the food for laboratory investigation. Of the single cases, one
concerned a New Eltham man who became ill along with several of his
colleagues at a St. Mary Cray factory after the midday meal consumed
at the Works Canteen,, This case was later confirmed as one of food
poisoning. Although the duration of the illness was comparatively
short, the patient was very ill. Meat pie was the food suspected.
Another patient was a man of 86 years who, it was found, had kept
tinned foods, including meat, open in his food cupboard for long
periods, and it is thought that possibly careless habits in regard to
his own food preparation had been responsible for his illness.
MENINGOCOCCAL INFECTION
There were seven confirmed cases, three of which proved fatal.
Twenty-four other cases were notified but not confirmed. Altogether,
22 of the patients were admitted to hospital. Seventeen of them
were under ten years of age.
PUERPERAL PYREXIA
During the year, 88 cases were notified, almost all from
hospital. Twenty-nine of the hospital notifications referred to
patients whose home addresses were outside the Borough.
49