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24
The following report presented to the Vestry during the year on
a case of food poisoning, the symptoms of which were diarrhoeal, may
fitly come in here.
SPECIAL REPORT ON A CASE OF FOOD POISONING AT
HOMERTON.
I have to report that on June 26th my attention was called to
a paragraph in an evening paper, where it was stated that on the
preceding Monday a family of nine persons were attacked with symptoms
of acute poisoning, some few hours after partaking of a meat
pie. Upon this information I made enquiries into the circumstances
and ascertained the following facts:—
Mr. and Mrs. D., with a family of seven children, lived in a
six-roomed house in Homer Road, Homerton, occupying the ground
floor, consisting of two rooms and a kitchen, and two bedrooms on
the first floor, the remaining room being occupied by a married
couple and three children. On Saturday evening, June 22nd, Mrs.
D. purchased some meat at a neighbouring butcher's, which she
made into a meat pie for the Sunday's dinner. This was cooked on
that day, and the whole of the family dined upon it, half only
being consumed then. The only other special articles taken by the
family on Sunday were some currants and strawberries, some of
the children taking the former and others the latter. No bad
symptoms were experienced by any member of the family during
that day or night. On Monday at mid-day, the remaining half of
the meat pie was warmed, and partaken of by the whole family. Up
to this time no evil symptoms had manifested themselves; but about
half-past two o'clock the baby, aged 1½ years, was taken with vomiting
and diarrhoea, and speedily became much collapsed; at the same
time a daughter, aged 15, fell ill with the same symptoms; and
about three o'clock five other children and the father and mother
were seized in the same manner. Dr. Fisher was called in, but subsequently
in the evening, the symptoms increasing in severity, the
seven children were admitted to the infirmary, the father and mother
whose symptoms had not been so severe, remaining at home.
Both Dr. Fisher and Dr. Oliver, Assistant Medical Officer to the
infirmary, informed me that the symptoms exhibited by the patients,
the most prominent of which were vomiting, diarrhoea, and collapse,
were typical of food poisoning of some sort.