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One was a man of 35 years who in September developed some
weakness in both legs and the right arm. He was discharged from
hospital after five weeks with slight weakness in the left foot which was
improving.
Another was a child of 5 years who fell ill in November. She
was an in-patient for three-and-a-half months and left hospital with
slight weakness of both lower limbs and one shoulder to continue
treatment as an out-patient.
The third case was of a baby of five months who had suffered for
some time from "ocular fits." Apart from this there was no evidence
of neurological involvement and it was considered that he probably
had a mild form of polio-encephalitis. This symptom persisted when
he was discharged from hospital otherwise well.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
No cases were notified. The last case of this eye infection of the
new born was in 1945. This is due to recent advances in chemotherapy.
Puerperal Pyrexia.
Notifiable rises of temperature during childbirth numbered 39,
compared with 47 in the year before; all in respect of cases confined
in the St. Helier Hospital. Five of the total were residents of
Carshalton and 25 were first confinements.
Food Poisoning.
Thirty cases of food poisoning were notified. Two were single
cases, one of which was associated with an outbreak of poisoning due
to Salmonella typhi-murium at a hospital in London where the patient
was on the staff and which was believed to be contracted from a meringue
made from duck eggs. The infecting organism was not isolated from
the patient, but was isolated from some of the associated cases in other
areas. The patient recovered.
The other single case was a child in a local hospital who contracted
a Salmonella typhi-murium infection and recovered. The vehicle of
infection was not identified.
An Outbreak of Food Poisoning due to Infected Duck Eggs.
History of the Outbreak.
On Tuesday, 7th June, 480 scholars of a large combined day and
boarding school for girls re-assembled after a long weekend's absence
for Whitsuntide. Within the same curtilage as the school was a religious
community of 67 persons and a staff of 33. The resident population
numbered 161: 80 boarders, 14 staff and 67 community members.
The day scholars and non-resident staff totalled 419. The residents
and such of the non-residents as took lunch at the school were all
served from the one kitchen. The religious community was served
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