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Public Health (Meat) Regulations, 1924. —Meat inspection is carried
out by the Sanitary Inspectors. Arrangements have been made whereby
adequate notice of the time of slaughter is obtained. During the year
the number of animals inspected at the time of slaughter was 279 (59
pigs and 220 sheep). No application for the marking of meat under the
Regulations has been received.
Instructions under the Regulations have been formulated to deal with
stalls, shops, stores and vehicles. These have been approved by the
Council and circulated amongst traders concerned. No meat stalls
exist in the Borough at the present time.
Unsound Food. —On four occasions during the year unsound food was
surrendered and destroyed. Included in the food surrendered was: —
17 stone of fish and five rabbits. No carcases were destroyed on account
of Tuberculosis.
Food Poisoning.—One case of food poisoning occurred during the
year. Deceased was a boy aged eight years who died within an hour
after admission to hospital, after having been taken ill on the previous
day. At the post-mortem examination food poisoning was suspected by
the pathologist and the matter was brought to the notice of the- Public
Health Department. The intestinal organs were forthwith submitted
to the Ministry of Health Laboratory and in due course a report was
received stating that the bacillus of hog cholera (B. Aertrycke) —an
established cause of food poisoning—was present in large numbers.
A verdict was returned in accordance with this and other medical evidence,
that the deceased had died from food poisoning. Despite searching
enquiry, however, the source of the infection could not be traced.
Sale of Food and Drugs Acts. —Four hundred samples, including
129 samples of milk and 5 samples of cream, were taken and submitted
for analysis during the year. These samples were investigated by