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visit the streets late on Saturday night, in order to prevent the sale of
stale and unwholesome food. Samples of milk for analysis have been
taken at stations, public institutions, and hospitals in the parish.
Some cases of illness after partaking of ices at a confectioner's shop,
in the evening, occurred in July, during very hot weather. The
symptoms were those of sickness, and severe gastro enteritis, attended
with diarrhoa. The ice in question having been all sold out, we had
no opportunity of examining it. Samples of the three kinds of ices
found on the premises, were taken, and submitted to our Analyst, and
were pronounced by him to be free from any metals thai could be injurious
to health, and after examination'microscopically " for deleterious bacteria
or microbes" were pronounced by him to be " good and wholesome
food." It is probable that, owing to the great heat of the weather at
the time, some decomposition had taken place in part of the cream
or other articles with which part of the ices were prepared. All the
patients recovered.
Preservatives and Coloring matters in Food. —The President of the
Local Government Board has appointed a Committee to enquire into
the use of preservatives and coloring matters in the preservation and
coloring of food in certain quantities, and to report whether the use of
such materials, or any of them, is injurious to health, and if so, in what
proportion does their use become injurious, &c. The Committee having
requested the co-operation of your Vestry in securing samples from the
district, the senior divisional inspector was instructed to obtain about
eighty samples for the use of the Committee. These comprised mostly
such foods as are likely to be treated with boric and salicylic acids, and
other preservatives, such as milk, cream, butter, lard, margarine, cheese,
bacon, sausages, jams, various tinned foods such as tinned pastes, bottled
soups, calves feet jelly in pots, pork pies, brawn and lime juice, &c.
The subject is one of considerable importance, especially in regard to
the food of invalids and children, and the report of the Committee,
which will be issued in the form of a "Blue Book," will be looked
forward to with much interest.
The Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1899, came into force on
January Ist, 1900. It amends and enlarges previous Acts relating to