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food prepared in conditions known to be unhygienic and by methods
known to be potentially dangerous."
The following is taken from a report on food poisoning issued by
the Public Health Laboratories. "It may be that the time has arrived
for the Medical Officer of Health, the bacteriologist and the sanitary
inspector as a team to give less time to lectures and demonstrations on
food hygiene and more time to visiting and advising meat manufacturers,
caterers and canteen managers on the practical application of theoretic
knowledge in individual factories and kitchens. . . . Processed and made
up dishes accounted for just over half the food poisoning in which the
vehicle of infe;tion was ascertained. . . . An immediate and substantial
reduction in the incidence of food poisoning would occur if processed
and made up dishes were rendered safe. . . . Though manufacturers,
most of them small, are willing to co-operate in improving standards,
they still have very little knowledge of the steps to be taken." The Chief
Medical Officer of the Ministry in an earlier report had said: "Food
poisoning is preventable. The safety of food depends on the hygienic
standard and sense of responsibility of the individual to a far greater
extent than does, for example the provision of a safe water supply, and
the amount of food poisoning is an indication that the individual does
not take his responsibilities in this matter seriously enough."
ERYSIPELAS
Erysipelas is a disease which, although notifiable, has now little
public health significance. It no longer causes the dreaded outbreaks
in institutions especially amongst patients in the surgical wards, while
to-day's methods of treatment have reduced the mortality rates of those
attacked. Sufferers may be admitted to hospital, but if so, this is usually
to enable them to obtain nursing and medical attention not available
at home, and it is not now carried out with a view to limiting the spread
of infection. There are, however, still some circumstances in which the
disease may be dangerous, and so although for most little needs to be
done, enquiries are still made at the homes of the notified cases. The
most important of these conditions, perhaps, is that of an expectant
mother nearing the time of her confinement being in the same house as a
patient suffering from erysipelas.
Each year, from 1934, the number of cases of erysipelas notified
has ranged from 31 to 48.
In 1954 20 cases were notified. The cases were fairly evenly distributed
over the year. Of these 11 were females. In all but one the
face was the affected site. Four of the patients were admitted to hospital.
MENINGOCOCCAL INFECTION
Each year a number of sporadic cases of cerebro-spinal fever occurs,
the average for the years 1934 to 1939 being three. There was a sharp
rise in incidence in 1940 which was part of the national outbreak. Althogh
the numbers in the succeeding years fell, the average number of
194? year was appreciably higher than the pre-war figure. Since
though the average figure has been only four. In 1954, although
Patients were suspected to be suffering from the infection, in only