The term, ptomaine poisoning, is was used to include all sorts of cases of bacterial poisoning due to the consumption of unhealthy food, except where specific disease. e.g. tuberculosis. is conveyed. The main reason was contamination from tinned food that had not been prepared or tinned properly.
The West Australian 1 Feb 1952
Anyone who has travelled in the outback will be familiar with the many types and the quantity of, tins of all sorts which have been discard, lying around in any place where there had been any human activity. The most common tins I have seen are tobacco and pilchards.
It may take some time to recover. but it often resulted in death, as of the above case of Mr M H Walsh of the Kalgoorlie Racing Club.
Laverton Mercury 17 Mar 1915
Weekly Times, Melbourne : 8 January 1910, page 11
PTOMAINE POISONING
WHAT TO DO! THE FIRST SYMPTOMS.
Dr. Burnett Ham, Chairman of the Board of Health, was questioned regarding the many cases of ptomaine poisoning which have occurred lately.
“It is rather a remarkable thing,” said Dr Ham, “that while I was health officer in Queensland many outbreaks of ptomaine poisoning came under my notice and the source of nearly all the cases were traced back to eating corned beef. Other foods such as tinned meats and tainted fish, are, however, also often to blame. The symptoms of the poisoning vary, but the chief features usually present are violent headache, rapid pulse, high temperature and, perhaps diarrhoea. In any case, people do not long stay in ignorance of their condition if they are affected with the disorder.
” Is there any simple form of first aid which people ought to resort to?”
The first thing to be done in case of an outbreak is to send for a doctor. There is absolutely no doubt about that, because very often symptoms do not show till the food is digested and the toxins are absorbed. In such cases any delay at all is dangerous. But If no doctor happened to be handy, if the poisoning takes place at a picnic even, a doctor’ should still be sent for, and in the meantime an emetic should be taken — generally the handiest thing is either mustard water or salted water. If these are not procurable, anything that will cause the stomach to be emptied can be brought into use — such as a feather, to tickle the throat. Sometimes people think they are poisoned when, as a matter of fact, they have only eaten something that has disagreed with them; but ptomaine is a dangerous poison for laymen to handle, and where any suspicion of it exists the importance of obtaining immediate medical aid cannot be too much exaggerated.” .
Daily News 27 Feb 1934
Those most at risk were the people who had no access to fresh food. Prospectors, Miners and those living away from towns. 
Children were also at great risk, and anyone who is frail or elderly. The term ‘ptomaine poisoning’ is now no longer used and cases would be classes as ‘food poisoning’. However, the tinned food process is now much improved and it is rare for a case to be traced to tinned produce these days.
Moya Sharp
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Very interesting, Moya.