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Prevention of Blindness. Information as to blindness
occurring in children under five years coming to our notice
through the Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme is transmitted
to the Surrey Voluntary Association for the Blind in
accordance with the recommendation contained in Memo.
162,/B.D.
No action was taken under Section 66 of the Public
Health Act, 1925, nor under Section 176 of the Public Health
Act, 1936.
Pneumonia. As mentioned earlier in this report the
respiratory infections were more numerous in 1937 than in
the year before. The number of notifications of pneumonia
was correspondingly larger. Ninety cases were notified, of
which 39 were stated to be influenzal in origin. This is more
than twice the number in the year before. Eleven were
babies under 2 years of age.
Food Poisoning. Six instances of suspected food poisoning
were reported.
In three, in each of which only one person was affected,
there was not sufficient evidence to establish whether any
particular food was the cause. The symptoms in one of these
suggested a Sonne infection, and the other two were notified
too late for any useful investigation to be undertaken. The
patients in all three instances recovered after a sharp attack
of diarrhoea and abdominal pain. The suspected foods in two
of these cases were:—
(1) Fried sole. (2) Duck eggs.
The remaining three instances were of a more definite nature.
One was the case of a man who presented mild symptoms
of botulism. Beginning with diarrhoea and sickness he later
developed pains in the joints, with double vision and affection
of his speech. Although there were 7 other members in
the family he was the only one affected, and there was no
single article of food which he alone partook of. Tinned
cream and duck eggs had been consumed prior to the onset.
There were no remnants which could be examined. The
patient recovered.
In another instance three members of one family, father,
mother and baby, were attacked with sickness, diarrhoea and
abdominal pain, the father suffering considerably more than
the other two. Salmonella Aertryke was isolated from specimens
from the father and baby. There is no doubt that the
illness in the mother also was of the same nature. Enquiries
elicited the information that the father had partaken of an
imported duck egg, which was believed to be the origin of
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