View report page

81
food supervision.
In the case of diseased meat being purchased by the retailer and being discovered on
examination before exposure for sale, the responsibility falls on the vendor to the retailer—
that is, either the wholesale dealer or (occasionally) a farmer or slaughterer. Against either
of these a prima facie case lies under Sub-sec. 3 of Section 17 of the Public Health (London) Act,
1891. That Section, however, provides a defence which in the case of the wholesale dealer
renders the Section practically inoperative. He has only to prove that "he did not know and
had no reason to believe" that the meat was diseased. He is not required to prove that he
had taken any real precautions to satisfy himself that it was free from disease. In a case
heard at the North London Police Court last autumn, the Magistrate, without hearing any
defence, dismissed the summons. Although his decision was afterwards set aside, the fact of
its occurrence shows the fatal ease with which summonses against wholesale dealers can be
decided. Even if proceedings were always successfully maintained against them, it is
doubted whether the responsibility would be altogether fairly placed. The person who ought
to be held responsible in every case for the soundness of the meat is the slaughterer. It is
only in the act of dressing the carcase that freedom from disease can be absolutely proved.
With a mulititude of private slaughter-houses in which adequate supervision is impossible,
where the men emploved have neither the skill nor (usually) the desire requisite for the
rejection of unsound meat, it is impracticable in every case to bring the responsibility to the
right man, and so long as the present system remains diseased meat will get on to the
market. The remedy for the present unsatisfactory system is the abolition of all private
slaughter-houses substituting municipal abattoirs where properly skilled inspectors can
examine meat at all stages. The staff of inspectors must be adequate to prevent the
examination developing into a perfunctory sham. Until that change is secured the wholesale
trade must be pressed to take measures to stop diseased meat sent to them, getting into the
retailers' hands.
The packing of Smyrna figs.— In The Times of Sept. 19th there was a letter signed
"Palinurus," drawing attention to the use of sea-water by certain packers. It was stated
that the sea-water was taken from the bay into which the whole of the town's sewage is
discharged, the smell from the bay being described as at times overpowering. It was
thought probable that the bacilli of enteric fever and other diseases were to be found in the
water. By direction of the Public Health Committee, samples of figs, selected to include
the best and worst grades, were submitted to bacteriological examination. The maximum
number of organisms found in any sample was six per milligramme. The bacillus coli and
allied organisms were not found, so that there was no evidence of sewage pollution.
The very small number of organisms found was surprising. The most probable
explanation is that concentrated sugar solutions are very unfavourable to the growth of
almost all organisms, and that the figs after packing gradually sterilise themselves. A
familiar example of the difficulty with which organisms develope in strong sugar solutions is
furnished by condensed milk (sweetened), which will remain good for a lengthened period
after being opened.
Food Adulteration.— During the year 505 samples were submitted to the Public
Analyst, of which 33 (or 6.5 per cent.) were found to be adulterated, the lowest proportion
since 1901. The percentages for the previous four years were—1901, 8.9; 1903, 6.9;
1902, 8.8; 1901, 10.9.
Of the milk samples (316), 87 were taken at the Paddington (G.W.R.) Terminus. Of the
87 station samples 11 were reported as adulterated, or 12.6 per cent., as compared with
18.7 per cent. in 1904, 8.1 in 1903. Of the remaining 229 samples purchased in the street