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77.
Investigation was made into the food eaten by the
patients.
Dr. Scott of the Ministry of Health kindly did the
bacteriological examinations found salmonella bacilli of
the aertryche type in the faeces of one patient and in
the vomited matter of another. Specimens could not
be obtained from the other patients. A colony of aertryche
bacilli was found on the surface of some roast
beef which remained after a meal eaten by all the
patients. The bacilli were not found in the inside of the
beef. Dr. Scott was of opinion that the beef was not the
cause of the outbreak, and that the animal from which
the beef was derived was not suffering from the infection.
The contamination of the beef may have been due to
some person in the house handling the meat or to
contact with some other infected article of food.
The remains of a veal and ham pie containing egg
were examined but none of the bacilli mentioned were
found in the meat, jelly or egg of which the pie was
made. Egg appeared to be the most likely cause of the
outbreak and was eaten in the form of custard by four
and probably all of the patients. The custard was made
at home and contained two eggs, one of which, according
to the person who made the custard, may possibly
have been a duck egg. It is unfortunate that none of
the custard remained after the meal for examination, as
the evidence regarding the source of infection in outbreaks
of food poisoning cannot be conclusive unless
the same bacilli which are obtained from the patients are
also discovered in the substance of the food consumed.
Food Shops and Food Stalls.
All food shops, stalls, barrows and the Fulham
Market have been kept under careful supervision during
the year and two of the Sanitary Inspectors have been
on special duty, as in previous years, every Friday and
Saturday night with regard to these food premises.