HEALTH NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18618, 22 April 1932, Page 10

HEALTH NOTES.

FOOD POISONING. ADVICE TO PUBLIC. (Contributed by the Department of Health). Every little while the Department receives reports of instances where a person has suddenly become ill with | severe intestinal symptoms, Investi- ! gation may show that all of those affected attended a certain dinner or banquet; again it may develop that those made ill have not eaten at any one particular place, and their places ot residence may be widely separated one from the other, or, on the 'Other hand, perhaps the cases arc confined to members of a certain household. In all such instances the Department delegates a member of its staff to investigate the circumstances surrounding Hie outbreak in order to determine the source of tlie trouble. The results of such investigations have shown in some cases that the affected persons were suffering from what fs known as food poisoning, by which is meant acute attack of illness due to some injurious property in food and drink. Poisonous Plants, etc. .'Food may he injurious to health as the result of a large number of causes some of which may he enumerated. There is a rare occurrence of poisoning from certain fruits, vegetables, etc., and generally results from accident or mistake. 'Thus the poisonous black berries of the deadly nightshade, a weed-like plant with white flowers, or the hemlock (fools parsley 7 ) a stout branching very poisonius plant 3 to 5 feet high with purple 'lined stem, fern-like leaves, and many whiteflowered umbellets, may be eaten by children, or poisonous fungi such as toadstools. The edible fungi are popularly spoken of as mushrooms, and the inedible ones as toadstools. It is not easy to lay down definite rules for the recognition of harmless fungi, while unfortunately some of the most dangerous are also those of commonest growth. Certain general indications it is always safe to observe. Thus, all fungi should be avoided when they are over-ripe, or when they have been attacked with slugs. I'liose that soften easily are usually dangerous, and the same is true of fungi which grow in dirty situations, such as dunghills, for this plant has a great tendency to absorb poisons from the medium on which it happens to be growing. Lastly all those which have a disagreeable smell or taste should certainly he rejected. Rhubarb leaves used as a vegetable during times of food shortage have been known to cause death. Deaths have occurred in New Zealand from the eating of the small apple-like pods which grow on the sprouting potato stalks. Certain foodstuffs may he poisonous to certain individuals who exhibit idiosyncrasy towards them. This is notably the case with crabs, lobsters and shrimps which are prone to produce nettlerash and even intestinal disturbances. Some people cannot eat strawberries without being similarly affected. Poisonous Substances. Then there is the danger of poisonous substances finding their way into food or drink through accident, ignorance or carelessness. Thus copper salts have been used to “ green ” vegetables, white arsenic mistaken for flour, etc. Care in the. manufacture, preparation, storage and handling of foodstuffs for human consumption is of great importance. For those inter- , tested copies of regulations in relation to precautionary measures with respect io foods are obtainable from the Government Printer, Wellington, as published in the Gazette dated July 25, 192 G, number 11-125. Foodstuffs. Many serious food poisoning outbreaks* have been caused by contamination, due to bacteria of humaiuj or animal origin gaining access to foodstuffs. Thus contaminated milk has been responsible for an outbreak of enteric fever in one New Zealand city, 39 cases of scarletina in another, and diphtheria in a third. The greatest care is necessary in the handling of milk as it forms a perfect medium in which disease germs can multiply very rapidly should they gain an entrance, hence the value of scientific pasteurisation. Ice creams, etc., are liable to be infected, due to careless preparation and handling. Foods such as ] butter, cheese, ham, etc., should not be handled with the fingers, but suitable implements used instead. Confectionary such as fudge, marshmallow, etc., generally carries bacteria successfully and likewise, should be handled with proper implements. Prepared Foods. Foodstuffs may be attacked* by bacterial or other organisms and poisonous products formed as occurs occas- ( ionally in connection with prepared meat foods such as brawn, potted . meat,, meat pies, sausages, etc. The j records of foodpoisoning outbreaks j show how important is this class of ; vehicle as a source of outbreaks. | When the nature of the infection is [ considered it becomes obvious that j the more the food is handled, and the j longer it lies around the greater the j opportunity for it to become contain- j inated, and for the bacteria lo grow ; and multiply. Only the best of meat ! should lie used for such purpose for ■ Hiere is no guarantee that rooking will ; kill dangerous bacteria present in uu- j sound meat. Canned Foods. Food poisoning from canned foods is 1 possible mainly due to infection of the contents before the food is put in the , I ins, or at least, before Urn tins are j hermetically sealed. The prevention I of outbreaks from this cause is there- | fore in the main the problem of preventing infection before or during j manufacture by adequate sterilisation | and Hie utilisation of only perfectly! sound foodstuffs l’or canning, scrupu- 1 tons cleanliness, and the rejection of: every canned nr potted article showing i evidence of spoilage. Manufacturers ■ of these foodstuffs are as a general rule alive lo their responsibilities in j Hits direction. j Housewives should tie extremely critical of Hit' condition of honiecamieii foodstuffs served for human consumption. If a home-eamied produce lias a disagreeable odour, or shows any indication of spoilage, however slight it may lie, it should he discarded. Non-acid fund produels such as beaus, asparagus, peas, spin- ! ach. meat and list i. unless I lie \ are | sound and are healed at soflicicnl ly | high temperatures and for a suM.-imt '

length of time in Hie canning process,! are likely to cause serious illness j among consumers, Such precautions j of course apply to commercially canned ! goods. in justice, lo manufacturers! of canned foods it should ho slab'll that food poisoning cases reported in j the press as ptomaine poisoning have : as a rule no connection with canned | products. In fact, poisoning from j commercially canned products iri New Zealand is an extremely rare occur- j retire. It is almost unknown nowadays. I