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44
The number of persons registered is 121, as compared with 118 in 1919, and
as against 580 persons whose names appear on the Register of Dairymen and Purveyors
of Milk.
All premises occupied by persons registered to retail Milk have been subjected
to periodical inspection, and the same conditions have been imposed as required by
Regulations made under the Dairies, Cowsheds and Milkshops Orders, to ensure the
cleanly storage and sale of Milk and of the proper hygienic surroundings being
maintained.
CASE OF SUGGESTED FOOD POISONING.
On December 5th it was reported to me that several persons who had partaken of
fried fish had been seized with illness within a short time of consuming it.
The report referred to 17 persons who were engaged by a City firm, and the
following day the Commissioner of Police for the City of London further notified me
of the outbreak, and also intimated that five other persons engaged with another
City firm were ill, and that a third firm had reported five girls ill due to the same cause.
As a consequence of the illness some of the patients were taken to
St. Bartholomew's Hospital and some to Guy's Hospital.
The symptoms in all cases were those of pains in the stomach. After treatment
at the Hospital all were sent home.
It appears that all these persons had partaken of fried fish which had been
prepared and cooked at a shop in the Minories. All had partaken of skate, and in
one instance, plaice in addition.
The majority of the patients had returned to work on Saturday morning, and on
Monday morning all had returned.
Enquiries were made at the place where the fish was cooked. This is a fried fish
shop in which cooked fish is sold from a long narrow shop on the ground floor.
The fish is prepared in the basement, where also potatoes are stored. Utensils
are washed in the yard, where there is a boiler.
CONDITIONS AND PREPARATION FOR SALE.—The basement runs under the
footway to the extent probably of about 8 or 10 feet, and at the street level there is
an open grid, which supplies a way for dust from the street to reach the cellar. There
is also a window in the basement which projects some two feet above the ground level
and some four feet below. The panes in this window are broken, and by this again the
means is provided for dust to reach the cellar.
In this vault potatoes and fish are prepared for sale, and for washing purposes
three round wooden vats are provided.
The fish, after being washed and cut up, is kept in two galvanised iron pails, and
paper is used to cover them.
The scraps which fall off the table after cooking are kept in a tub, and one or
two empty wooden boxes are stored in the vault.
The water used for washing the fish and potatoes is contained in a galvanised
cistern of about 40 gallons capacity. This cistern is provided with a stop-tap, it is
uncovered, placed about a foot below the roof, and into it street dust can gain access.
There is no direct supplv from the main.
In a cellar adjoining this vault is placed a cooking stove, a table to receive the
cooked fish, which table consists of a shutter covered with paper. One or two boxes
used for various purposes were placed on or by the table, and these were not clean.
Potatoes are stored in sacks near the wall, one sack deep, which prevented the cellar
being kept in a cleanlv order.
The yard contained, as stated, a boiler, and this is supplied with water from a
galvanised iron cistern about 40 gallons capacity, furnished with a wooden cover.
Again, there is no supply of water direct from the main.