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94
FOOD POISONING.
Section 7 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act,
1932, requires any medical practitioner attending on any person,
if he suspects or becomes aware that such person is suffering from
food poisoning, to notify the Medical Officer of Health and to give
particulars of the food poisoning from which such person is suspected
to be suffering.
Thirty-two notifications were received during the year and
careful investigation was made in each case. In most instances it
was found that the patient had only suffered temporary indisposition
and had, in fact, resumed work by the time of the Food Inspector's
visit. A wide variety of articles of food were alleged to be responsible
for the patients' illnesses.
In 27 instances the patient was the only member of the family
to suffer ill-effect although, in a number of cases, the other members
of the family had partaken of the suspected food.
Two members of a family were notified to be suffering from
food poisoning thought to be due to the consumption of fish, and
upon enquiry it was found that the entire family of six persons had
been affected in varying degrees. All recovered within a few days.
The remaining three patients notified during the year were
members of a family of seven persons. These three children suffered
a sharp attack of diarrhoea and sickness following a meal of boiled
mutton. The other members of the family were not affected
although they had shared the same meals. The patients were
removed to hospital and recovered.