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44
them by the Secretaries of the Society. There is good reason to
hope that in the next session of Parliament the necessary legislative
powers for framing bye-laws will be granted.
As bearing on this point the subjoined “Parliamentary
intelligence” (February 21st, 1875), which I extract from the
British Medical Journal, will be read with interest:—
"Typhoid Fever at Eagley.-Mr. Charley asked the President
of the Local Government Board whether his attention
had been called to the recent fatal outbreak of typhoid fever
at Eagley, near Bolton, in Lancashire, which was attributed
by the Medical Officer of Health to the pollution of milk by
water filled with sewage, used for washing the milk cans;
and whether, in view of the numerous and fatal outbreaks
of a similar kind in Islington, Marylebone, Glasgow, Jarrow,
and other places, which had been after due investigation attributed
to a similar pollution of the milk supply, he would consider
the expediency of introducing a measure for the protection of
health by special sanitary supervision of dairy-farms, and of the
premises in which milk is stored prior to sale by urban milkvendors
? Mr. Sclater-Booth said that his attention had been
called to the question, and he caused immediate enquiry to be
made of the sanitary authorities of the locality, who gave a
most deplorable account of the ravages of fever in that particular
district. Two facts came out, though the enquiry was not quite
concluded. In the first place, it would appear that the milk in
question, though poor in character was not greatly adulterated
with water; and secondly, the cans had been washed with water
from highly polluted sources. He could not say that he had it
in contemplation to introduce any measure for the protection of
health by special sanitary supervision of dairy-farms, but he was
aware of the advisability of passing bye-laws, and the subject
would receive his consideration."
BAKEHOUSES.
The bakehouses, 113 in number, viz., 64 in the north, and
49 in the south sanitary district, have been frequently inspected,
and the provisions of the Act relating to them carried out as
efficiently as possible.
WATER SUPPLY.
Information respecting the water supply is now derived from
two independent sources, viz., from the chemical reports prepared
by Professor Prankland, P.R.S., for the Registrar-General, and
the Engineering Reports by Mr. Frank Bolton, the water examiner
under the Metropolis Water Act, 1871. From Professor Frankland's
reports, we learn that the temperature of the Thames water
as supplied by the Chelsea, West Middlesex, and Grand Junction
Companies, varied from 34°.7 Fahr. in December, to 66°.5 in
August, a range of 31°.8, the water being unpleasantly warm in
summer, and bordering on the freezing point in winter; while the