View report page

68
for cowhouses, concerning the unsatisfactory character
of certain of these premises, which are of such old
construction and so situated as to be difficult of
alteration to comply with modern standards.
The eleven cowhouses in Bethnal Green have
accommodation for a maximum of 195 cows. It appears
to me, however, that the keeping of cows in a large
city ought to be prohibited—certainly in a congested
district like Bethnal Green. The cows are cooped
up for many months (in one case for a continuous
period of sixteen months) in dark, ill-ventilated and
ill-constructed cowsheds, where often their only means
of exercise is alternating between getting up and lying
down. In many of these premises the cowshed, dung
receptacles, milk cooler, water supply, w.c. and stores
of litter and foodstuffs, are all so crowded together
that the production of a safe milk supply is an utter
impossibility. When it is remembered that Nature
intended the cow to roam in meadows, with free
access to sunlight and fresh air, which are vitally
important factors in the production of wholesome milk,
it will be seen that the present state of things is
fundamentally wrong. I understand that there are
about 500 cowhouses in the County of London. It is
clear, however, that the only satisfactory milk supply
for a vast city like London must be derived from
the surrounding country, and it should be possible,
with a little enterprise and adjustment, for the existing
cowkeepers to restrict themselves to the distribution
of a safe, bottled milk produced by cows living in
natural and healthy conditions.
Ice Cream Premises.
There were 164 ice cream premises recorded at
the end of the year, and 367 visits were paid to them
by the district inspectors. As mentioned on page 65,
samples of ice cream were purchased for bacteriological
analysis during the year, and legal proceedings were
taken in one case.