View report page

297
[1911
Open Window Stalls and Costers' Stalls.—Last year attention
was drawn to the exposure of meat in the open windows of butchers' shops.
The remarks then made apply with equal, indeed, with greater force to the
open windows of fruiterers' shops, as well as to costers' stalls, for most of the
fruits exposed in or on them are consumed in their raw state, and, therefore,
the dust of the streets, which contains so many dangerous microbes, and
which has been blown on them, is swallowed by the consumers of the articles.
To these dangers must be added the danger caused by flies, who are often to be
seen in large numbers sipping the juices of the fruits and vegetables exposed
for sale, in the process of which they cast off bacteria of dangerous types from
the feet and wings, or deposit them in their fly specks. They are known to
have conveyed the bacteria of tuberculosis and typhoid fever, which, however,
are not the only diseases that may be conveyed in this manner. Up to now in
England few or no attempts have been made to protect the food sold in such
places from either dust or flies, and, therefore, a very serious nuisance continues.
It is clear that if vendors will not protect their food stuffs the aid of the
legislature must be invoked to protect the public from a dangerous practice.
Again and again the Medical Officer of Health has vainly attempted to trace
the origin of cases of enteric fever, so that he has been compelled to enter it in
his record books as unknown. He has very little doubt, however, that many
of them must have originated through eating contaminated food stuffs. Indeed,
with respect to two cases of this disease which some years ago occurred
simultaneously in his own family he arrived at the conclusion that they were
caused by the contamination of food by flies. Medical Officers of Health are
now fully alive to this danger, so that there is great hope that the public will
before long be protected from dangers which can be so obviously and easily
avoided.
Bread. —Flies are generally to be found in large numbers in bakers' shops,
to which they are attracted not only by the bread but also by the confectionery
which is frequently sold in them. Bread and confectionery are favourite foods,
of which they partake greedily; and naturally where they eat greedily they
deposit their specks in greatest number; and, therefore, in such places they
are a real danger.
In the early part of the year Mr. Leggatt, the Chief Inspector, noticed a
woman in a baker's shop placing paper bands around brown loaves, which she
did by licking the gummed end of the band, with which she afterwards encircled
the loaf. No sanitarian requires to be told that such a practice is not only