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3°
DAIRIES, COWSHEDS AND MILKSHOPS.
For the past five years I have, in company with the
Chief Sanitary Inspector, visited all the cowsheds every
month at 7 a.m., not necessarily on the same day in each
month.
There is no doubt that such inspection has wrought
a great change in the production and treatment of milk in
the district. From every cowshed now the milk is relatively
clean on delivery, and there is also a marked improvement
in the imported supply, due to the action of certain County
Medical Officers, but I am still not satisfied that the best
efforts are made to obtain really clean milk with a low
bacterial count at these ordinary farms, and one rather despairs
of further improvement, partly from the fact that few
farmers realize the importance of the new scientific technique
of the business, partly due to the employment of cheap and
ignorant labour. Only one of the local dairy farmers has
been induced to enter the annual County Clean Milk Competition.
The Dairies and Milk Shops are inspected frequently
and are usually found in satisfactory condition.
During February, 1925, we found it necessary to recommend
the Council to prosecute a dairyman for selling
milk without being registered and for the dirty condition of
his premises, the same being an infringement of the Milk
Regulations. A conviction was obtained.
Your Veterinary Surgeon (Mr. Widden) makes careful
inspection twice a year of all milch cows in the district
and issues a report of the sheds and of the animals for your
Public Health Committee.
During the year 276 visits were made to Cowsheds,
and 148 to Dairies.
PUBLIC HEALTH (MEAT) REGULATIONS, 1924.
As soon as the New Meat Regulations were received
from the Ministry, I called a conference of the Medical
Officers of Health, and the Chief Sanitary Inspectors of
all the surrounding districts, to endeavour to ascertain the
exact scope and interpretation of the clauses, and, if possible,
to agree upon a common action.