View report page

77.
Deaths from Food Poisoning.
Two deaths occurred during the year from this
cause.
Case No. 1.
On 27th July last, I attended a post-mortem examination
on the body of a man aged 25 years. The examination
was done at the Fulham Mortuary, by Dr.
Bronte, pathologist to the Home Office.
Several of the internal organs of the deceased were
sent to the Ministry of Health laboratory, for examination,
and bacilli aertrycke were isolated in pure culture
from the liver, spleen and kidney.
I did not see the patient during life, but I was
informed that the symptoms of illness commenced about
7.80 on Friday evening, 20th July. The symptoms
consisted of diarrhoea and retching and the patient is
stated to have ascribed his illness to a veal and ham pie
which he ate at dinner-time, between 1 and 2 o'clock,
on the same day (20th July).
The patient went to work on the following day
(Saturday, 21st July), and returned home between half
past one and two o'clock. He became worse during the
day and much worse on the Sunday (22nd July). A
doctor was called in on the Sunday evening.
The patient continued to be very ill but on the
Tuesday he was a little better, after taking some medicine
which the doctor prescribed. He however gradually became
worse and died on Thursday morning, 26th July.
I made investigations regarding the possible
source of infection.
The veal and ham pie contained veal, ham, pork
and egg. It was bought in a Fulham shop by the
mother of the deceased, on the day before it was eaten
by him. it was kept in a cupboard until the following
morning and the deceased carried it in his pocket to his
place of employment at Kingston, where he worked as
a sheet metal worker. He ate the pie during the dinner
hour at the works.