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103
Public Health (Shell-fish) Regulations, 1934.—The object of
these Regulations is to enable local authorities to take steps to
prevent the sale of shell-fish suspected to be causing infectious or
other disease or causing danger to public health.
If the Medical Officer of Health has information that any
infectious or other disease in his district is attributable to shell-fish,
enquiries are to be made to ascertain the layings from which such
shell-fish were taken, and notice and a copy of the report of the
Medical Officer of Health is to be sent to the local authority in whose
district the layings are situate. If the local authority where layings
are situate do not take action or any action taken is considered to
be insufficient, appeal may be made to the Ministry of Health.
Wholesale and retail fishmongers are required to supply any
information desired by the Medical Officer of Health.
Chemical and Bacteriological Examination of Food.—The
names of the laboratories at which this work is performed on behalf
of the Council are given on pages 34 and 35 of this Report.
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.
Twenty-five 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 21 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. There were two
instances in which two members of a family were affected.