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Dysentery.
There were 3 cases of dysentery notified in 1949. The source
of infection was unknown. Recovery was rapid in each case.
Tuberculosis.
I am glad to be able to record a considerable reduction in
the number of new cases of tuberculosis, pulmonary and nonpulmonary,
notified as occurring in the borough during the year,
the total being 35, which is the lowest figure since 1941, although
the population now is 13,000 more than it was in that year.
In addition to these new cases, 57 persons previously notified
in other districts as sufferers from tuberculosis, moved into Chingford.
There were 15 deaths from tuberculosis during the year ; 3
of these had not been previously notified as suffering from tuberculosis.
The ratio of non-notified tuberculous deaths to total
tuberculous deaths is 1 to 5.0.
Food Poisoning.
In addition to 4 cases of food poisoning notified by private
practitioners, a series of outbreaks of food poisoning occurred at
a school in the south of the borough during the last six months of
1949.
The first outbreak, in July, involved 24 adults and 6 children,
who complained of vomiting and diarrhoea about six hours after
ingestion of the midday school meal. Samples of all food consumed
at the lunch were taken and submitted to bacteriological examination,
when it was found that some of the beef, salad and potato
were heavily infected with bacillus proteus. The probable origin
of infection could not be ascertained but it was considered that a
contributory factor at the time was the poor food storage facilities
available.
In October a second outbreak occurred involving 14 persons.
Symptoms were similar to the July occurrence. Samples of food
examined bacteriologically revealed a heavy infection of a meat
pie by food poisoning organisms. All the members of the foodhandling
staff were examined as possible sources of contamination,
but all swabs taken revealed no link with the organisms causing
the symptoms.
The last outbreak, the third, occurred in December, in which
60 children complained of illness twelve hours after partaking of
the school lunch. Unfortunately, in this instance, no food
remained over for examination. In spite of the most exhaustive
enquiries and the examination of all the canteen staff and several
of the children involved, the organism giving rise to this illness
was never discovered.
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