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134
the bacillus typhosus and a growth of this organism was obtained from the
urine of the proprietor and the fseces of an employee who packed the ice
cream. Between 30 and 40 gallons of ice cream were manufactured daily
in this factory, and that a major epidemic was averted must be attributed
to prompt action in tracking down the epidemic to its source. The infection
may be introduced in. milk, cream and other ingredients, or by carriers or
sufferers from a particular disease, if care is not exercised in the
sterilisation of utensils and personal cleanliness. Contamination from flies
and dust may take place after production when the ice cream is kept in a
churn with a poorly fitting lid, and is stored or exposed for sale under
unsuitable conditions. Spoons and servers are often dirty. Nowadays,
much of the ice cream sold by the large firms is hygienically wrapped and
the opportunities of contamination after manufacture are considerably
reduced.
Although many serious epidemics have been proved to be caused by ice
cream, it is probable that a number of minor epidemics are also due to it, but
definite proof of this is often lacking, Sore throat and summer diarrhoea,
especially in children, and isolated cases of mild illness are almost certain
in many cases, to be the result of eating infected ice cream. Tubercle bacilli
have been found in ice cream, and recently, of 72 samples examined
in Bristol, one contained these organisms. Of the raw milk that comes into
London a high percentage contains tubercle bacilli, and where pasteurisation
is not carried out, the ice cream must be infected. This is a point of the
utmost importance, particularly for children, and it requires further investigation.
The small vendor is, perhaps, the greatest offender in the matter of
cleanliness. He may be quite ignorant of the most elementary principles of
sterilisation and he seldom realises that washing with warm water does not
kill bacteria.
There arc no bacteriological or chemical standards in force in Great
Britain, but in many parts of the world ice cream production is strictly
controlled by legislation. This is the case in most of the States and large
Cities of the U.S.A., and in Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Holland,
Belgium and Northern Ireland. The maximum number of bacteria allowed
in one cubic centimetre of ice cream varies in different places from 250,000
to 50,000 per c.c. Certain countries also prohibit the bacillus Coli in ccrtaiu
dilutions. These figures may be compared with our own standard for
pasteurised milk, i.e., not more than 100,000 bacteria per c.c.
Ice Cream was originally made in pewter containers, placed in tubs
containing a freezing mixture of ice and salt. The container was rotated
by hand and the contents stirred by means of a paddle. Two vendors in
Hampstead use an apparatus of this nature.