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commodity shall be registered by the owner or occupier thereof with
the local sanitary authority. Appropriate penalties are provided for
any offence against these provisions. Premises used as a hotel, restaurant
or club are specifically exempted from the operation of this section,
which is unsatisfactory in that complete control is thus not yet possible.
Fried Fish Vendors.—At the end of the year there were 14 premises
in which the frying of fish was carried on and 15 inspections of these
premises were made. It is found that a reasonable standard of cleanliness
is now being maintained, but it is necessary for the Inspectors to maintain
a constant vigilance to impress upon the vendors the necessity for the
systematic observance of cleanliness.
Inspection of Other Premises where Food is Prepared or Offered
for Sale.—The Inspectors keep under frequent observation all other
premises where food is prepared for or exposed for sale. Included in this
category are restaurants and premises used by provision dealers, butchers,
fishmongers and greengrocers for the purposes of their trades.
Table No. 32 (page 51) shows, for the past two years, the number of
inspections of premises where food was prepared for or exposed for sale.
Unsound Food.—On one occasion during the year unsound food
was surrendered and destroyed. Included in the food surrendered
was :—Beef, 434 lbs.; assorted meat, 340 lbs. No carcases were
destroyed on account of tuberculosis.
Food Poisoning.—One case of food poisoning occurred during the
year. Deceased was a girl aged seven years who died within a few hours
of admission to hospital, after having been taken ill on the previous dayAt
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
for analysis and in due course a report was received stating that a bacillus
closely allied to the dysentery bacillus was found. 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.
Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act, 1928.—Four hundred and one
samples, including 112 samples of milk and 12 samples of cream, were
taken and submitted for analysis during the year. These samples were
investigated by the Public Analyst to the Borough, Mr. B. H. Gerrans,
F.I.C., whose Report is set out in the appendix.
Each of the four male Sanitary Inspectors is appointed an Inspector
under the Acts. Under their direction, the taking of samples is effected
by individuals temporarily employed for the purpose, the services of
persons outside the Borough being frequently utilised.
The samples procured are of two kinds—formal and informal. Formal
samples are those taken strictly in conformity with the Act. Informal
samples are those taken without these strict formalities and afford useful
indication of the conditions without disclosing to the vendor that the
object of purchase is analysis.