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227
[1903

It is satisfactory to find that whereas in former years before an inspector
of meat was appointed, very many persons used to come to the Medical Officer
complaining of the unsound food that had been sold them, such an event is now
a rare occurrence, a fact which proves that the mere presence of a skilled inspector
is sufficient to prevent dealers foisting unsound articles on their
customers.
Cowsheds.
There are now only 12 cowhouses in the borough, one at 31, Ashbrook
Road having been removed from the register during the year, because the
owner had allowed the licence to lapse.
They were inspected on 152 occasions, and were generally found in a
fairly clean state. None of them can be said to be model cowhouses, but it
can be asserted without fear of contradiction that they are in a far better
condition than the majority of cowhouses throughout the rural districts of
England, where generally the administration of the Dairies, Cowsheds, and
Milk Shops Order, under which they are controlled, is not enforced, and
consequently the milk does not come to the consumers in that pure and
unpolluted state which they have every right to expect and demand.
A decided improvement in the manner in which the cowkeepers looked after
their cows has been noticed, for whereas formerly it was with great difficulty
that they were induced to keep them clean, they are now making efforts to
meet the requirements of your inspectors. Old habits and customs die hard,
and therefore it has not been a surprise to find that some difficulty has been met
with in inducing them to more stringently carry out the requirements of the
Dairies, Cowsheds, and Milkshops Order. One cowkeeper especially has had
to be warned on several occasions that if he did not maintain his cows in a
more cleanly state he would undoubtedly be summoned.