Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the years 1922-23 and 1923-24, and review (1902-25) of the public health conditions and progess of Johannesburg.

  • Johannesburg
Date:
1925
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the years 1922-23 and 1923-24, and review (1902-25) of the public health conditions and progess of Johannesburg. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    49/70 (page 41)
    poisoning, but apart from Botulism, practically all such outbreaks are due to the Salmonella group of organisms (sec below) and not to ptomaines, which usually do not begin to appear in food until putrefaction has been in progress for a week. The use of the term ‘ ptomaine poisoning ’ is, therefore, incorrect, and even dangerous, for both Public Health and medico-legal reasons, because of the tendency to accept it as sufficiently explanatory of deaths which have occurred, and perhaps thereby to interfere with elucidation of the truth by inquiry, e.g., where criminal motives may be involved. The ‘ Salmonella group of organisms ’ includes various types of the Ji. parat yphosus, ]i. suipestifer, B. enteriticlis (sometimes called Gaertner) and l>. aertrycke. The first two have comparatively little irritant action on the gastric mucous membrane, hut appear to possess a power of more generally invading the body, as by the production of para-typhoid fever. B. aerotrycke and ]}_ enteritidis, on the other hand, uniformly cause acute gastro-enteritis of the food-poisoning type, and this action is not prevented by boiling the food in which these organisms are present. Indeed, evidence exists of the presence in these organisms of an irritant substance producing acute gastric inflammation: and such organisms, when heated to boiling point, are actually more irritant than when unheated.—(Privy Council (Medical Research.) Report on Investigation of Salmonella Group with Special Reference to Food Poisoning—by W. G. Savage and P. B. White, 1925.) In November, 1924, in Braamfontein, symptoms of irritant poisoning occurred amongst eacli of those members of two adjoining families who had partaken of a meal which included salad, brawn and kippers. Those who did not eat any of the brawn were unaffected. It was not possible to get any remnants of the portions of brawn actually sold to these people, but the same brawn had been supplied to a large number of other people, and a specimen taken the following day appeared to be perfectly wholesome and fresh. No organism of the meat-poisoning group was isolated and a biological test was carried out with negative results. It, therefore, seems likely that if the brawn eaten by these two families was responsible for the outbreak, it was due to contamination between the time of sale and that of consumption. Two cases of irritant poisoning caused by eating slightly putrid kippers also came under notice, and the supplying firm was severely cautioned. MUNICIPAL PRODUCE MARKETS. These include a very fine closed building, opened in 1913, covering some 7,400 sq. yards. Farm produce, such as fruit, vegetables, poultry, butter and eggs are sold here wholesale and retail, also fish and meat. In one of its spacious galleries, the Central Maternity and Child Welfare Centre is satisfactorily accommodated. INSPECTION OF OTHER FOODSTUFFS. The following goods were condemned by the Foods and Drugs Inspector: Fish, 82,320 lbs.; smoked fish, 2,619 lbs.; salt herrings, 7 cases and 1,757 lbs.; bacon, 1,350 lbs.; crayfish, 369; potted meats, 38 cases; potatoes, 176 bags; fish roe, 77 tins; fillets, 321 boxes; meat, 1,900 lbs.; anchovies, 900 tins; condensed milk, 1,276 tins; soles, 1,715 lbs.; sardines, 3 cases and 393 tins; sausages, 234 tins; fruit, 88 tins; polonies, 2 cases; hams, 1 case; shrimps, 50 lbs-; peaches, 2 cases; and desiccated coco-nut, 8 cases. During the period under review he passed 2,039,966 lbs- of bacon etc., and 14,218,558 lbs. of fish. ANALYSIS OF FOOD, ETC., 1922-24. Milk.- Appended is a tabulated summary of the results of analyses and prosecutions: — 5 Years, 1917-22. 1922-23. 1923-24 Number of Samples taken 1,503 532 444 Number deficient Solids-not-Fat ... 123 54 22 Number deficient Fat SO 28 9 Number of Preservatives 4 7 2 Number of Prosecutions ... 107 69 19 Amount of Fines . £550 £254 £54/10/- of In addition to ood, etc., were he .rj-i water examination* examined during ‘ood, etc., were examined during 1922-24 at the Government Laborato equal to 3’2 samples per annum per 1,000 of White population. Details appended:— ■ M.O.H. 1922-3-4. T'ooil Poisoning. Food Inspection. Food Analysis.