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104
Later in 1922, Bermondsey Council suggested that pressure should
be brought to bear on the Ministry, urging that a new Committee
should be appointed to bring the recommendations up to date, and that
the Ministry should initiate legislation. Deptford again gave its
support. I understand that a fresh enquiry is to take place. It is
desirable that something in the nature of a standard should be made
with respect to preservatives in foods. The present position is vexatious,
as it has happened that a conviction has been obtained in one part of
London for selling one pound of tinned green peas containing 1.3 grs.
copper sulphate (added to give the peas a fresh green appearance) and
yet in another part of the Metropolis a prosecution for selling a tin of
peas containing approximately 3 grains of copper sulphate per pound
of peas was dismissed. Meanwhile, the Deptford Borough Council
has decided to issue warning notices in the press and trade journals to
the effect that in future any vendor selling tinned foodstuffs containing
metals or their salts (such as copper sulphate in tinned peas) will be
prosecuted.
Small-pox and Chicken-pox. In view of the presence of Smallpox.
in London it was decided that Chicken-pox should be made notifiable
for the three months ending February 17th, 1923. During this period
numerous notifications were received, and I visited approximately 50
per cent. of the cases; a happy working arrangement to this end had
been made previously with the general practitioners. In five doubtful
cases I was called in consultation. One case of Small-pox was notified
in November, but the diagnosis was not upheld at the Metropolitan
Asylums Board's South Wharf; meantime, every contact had been
vaccinated, and the family had been removed to the Temporary Shelter
in Watson Street. An exhaustive enquiry into everybody's movements
had taken place. The scare led to a fair amount of vaccination in the
Borough.
Measles. As from 11th September, 1922, Measles was made
notifiable in the Borough for five years.
Alleged Food Poisoning. A case was reported, and with the
Coroner's consent I attended the post mortem, when ruptured gastric
ulcers were disclosed. Preparations had been made to send foodstuffs
and portions of the organs to Mr. Bruce White's laboratory at Bristol,
where such investigations are made by agreement with the Ministry of
Health.