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OUTBREAKS OF FOOD POISONING,
AND CLEAN FOOD CAMPAIGN
During the year no outbreaks of food poisoning occurred* There were,
however, two isolated instances relating to one or more members of
individual families.
Case 1: In this case a husband and wife complained of illness following
the consumption of corned beef sandwiches, the sandwiches having been bought
ready made. Samples of the material consumed were available for
examination but the bacteriologist reported no bacterial growth.
Investigations did not bring to light the cause of the illness and the
patients recovered spontaneously in a short time.
Case 2: This also concerned a husband and wife living alone. The
patients complained of abdominal pain, nausea, salivation and vomiting and
acute diarrhoea* This came on in the late evening and early hours of the
morning and there was a fair degree of prostration. On enquiry it was
found that boiled bacon had been consumed about 4 o'clock in the afternoon
on the day in which the illness had occurred. The bacon had been boiled
some days previously at home and was served cold* It had been in and out
of the domestic refrigerator. The bacon plus some other articles of diet
were submitted to the bacteriologist in the Public Health Laboratories at
Epsom, and the bacon yielded a heavy growth of Staphylococcus aureus
coagulase positive. The patients made an uninterrupted recovery and no
other article of diet was implicated.
NUTRITION
The nutritional standards of school children, as observed at routine
examinations, and children below school age, as observed at infant welfare
centres, are maintained at a very high level, the general impression
gained being that children tend to be taller and heavier in the respective
age-groups than formerly*
The Local Health Authority continued the scheme for the distribution
of welfare foods since it was handed over by the Ministry of Food in June,
1954. Local issues were made from an office situated in the Corporation
Car Park by the Divisional Medical Officer's staff and ladies of the W.V.S.
Issues were also made at infant v/elfare centres and at the branch library
in Beddington. Grateful thanks are due to the many volunteers, who so
willingly co-operate in this important service for mothers and infants.
Proprietary brands of vitamin preparations and some dried milk foods
continue to be available to mothers at infant welfare centres and at the
Town Hall.
SHELL FISH (MOLLUSCAN)
Only a small quantity of shell fish is marketed in the district, and
is obtained chiefly from Billingsgate Market, London.
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