Annual report of the Department of Public Health / Union of South Africa.

  • South Africa. Department of Health.
Date:
[1933]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Department of Public Health / Union of South Africa. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/66 (page 17)
    Amendments to Regulations.—The 1932 edition of the British Pharmacopoeia was substituted, under Regulation No. 31, for that of 1914, in order to ensure compliance with a standard for drugs in conformity with the latest advances and discoveries in therapeutics and the ancillary sciences, 'in regard to drugs not mentioned in the 1932 British Pharmacopoeia, the standards of those mentioned in the British Pharmaceutical Codex published in 1923 apply as before, with the exception of certain drugs or articles which it was decided to exempt from such standards—as toilet vinegar, hair lotion, eau-de-Cologne, camphor ice, etc. As no percentage of pepper was laid down under the original Regulation 23 (4) in respect of “ Compound Pepper ” and complaints were received of unfair competition through the marketing of a very inferior commodity, an amendment was made prescribing a minimum pepper content of 50 per cent, for this article. An alteration was made to the existing regulation whereby sulphur dioxide used in foods was exempted to a specified extent from being declared on labels, particularly in view of representations made in respect of the manufacture of grape juice. A slight amendment affecting the labelling requirements was made in respect of bread made from rye meal or a mixture of cereals. A minor alteration was made defining the size in which the required information shall be printed on labels in respect of any package, container, etc. from which food is taken for retail sale direct to the purchaser. General Warranties.—Twenty-three registered general warranties wrere in force at the beginning of the year and were all renewed, w7ith the exception of one in respect of Coffee and Chicory Essence, which was cancelled by the owner. Samples of 13 different articles so registered were analysed and found to comply with the approved specifications, with one exception necessitating the issue of a warning. Sarnples are to be taken of the remaining 9 articles. General.—Periodical tours of inspection were undertaken during the course of the year by the Department’s inspectors, who are stationed at Pretoria, Capetown and Dur¬ ban. A wide field has been covered embracing all the fairly populous districts of the Union, including such remote parts as Kuruman, Gordonia, Kenhardt, Griqualand East, the Transkei, Zoutpansberg, Waterberg, and all parts of the Free State and Natal. The commodities of manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers are inspected on the premises, and opportunity is taken to explain the provisions and requirements of the Act to all concerned. Verbal warnings are given in cases of contraventions, followed up where necessary by written warnings issued from the head office or the Capetown office, upon receipt of the inspectors’ reports. On subsequent visits these matters are enquired into in order to take further action if necessary. There was a tightening-up and stricter control during the year in the administration of the Act in Johannesburg and other Reef towns which are the main manufacturing and distributing centres for the Transvaal and Orange Free State Provinces. The significance of such policy is manifest in Natal, where contraventions of the Act in the sale of articles in the country districts have been reduced to a minimum, through a con¬ centration of activities in Durban. Assay of Therapeutic Substances.—The assay of a number of substances used thera¬ peutically against international standards is carried out in leading European countries. The necessity for similar examinations of such substances in the Union has become increasingly evident. Steps are being taken by the Department to devise machinery for undertaking this work locally. The substances which it is considered should be carefully supervised in the interests of the general public fall under four groups :— Certain drugs such as digitalis, strophanthus, ergot, arsphenamine, neoarsphenamine, sulpharsphenamine ; glandular extracts such as insulin, pituitrin, thyrosin, adrenalin ; the various concentrated vitamin preparations ; and lastly the very important group of sera and vaccines which are now so extensively used in medical practice. 8. Unsound Foodstuffs.—The regulation framed under Section 115 of the Public Health Act dealing with the preparation and sale of unsound foodstuffs packed in air¬ tight receptacles, and restricted to fish or meat products, was recently amended under Government Notice No. 734 of the 16th May, 1933, to embrace all articles of food, as this was considered essential in the public interest in view of the possibility of food poisoning. During the year 45 tins of fish and one tin of minced meat found to be badly blown were seized at a country store by an Inspector of this Department and were destroyed with the consent of the owner. Considerable quantities of similar articles were seized and condemned by the health staffs of Local Authorities during the year. Large quantities of imported articles of food, including consignments of wheat, rice, potatoes, dates, fish, peas, tomatoes, berries, biscuits, etc. found by Fort Health Officers to be unfit for human comsumption, were seized and destroyed under the Fort Health Regulations at the four chief ports of the Union during the year. Bacterial Food-Poisoning.—An outbreak of food-poisoning occurred amongst pas¬ sengers and staff of the train leaving Durban for Johannesburg on tie t e ruarj, 1933. A careful enquirv into the circumstances was made by a Board consisting ol representatives from the Railway Administration and the Pub ic ta 1 - epai men Of the 24 passengers who partook of the dinner provided in the dmmg saloon, 9 sub¬ sequently took ill, and 1 died. The 15 members of the tram staff who were supplied with 2 CP.