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iii
Clean Water
In London, the Metropolitan Water Board ensures that the puritj
standard of water for use for domestic purposes is of a high order.
Clean Food
The problem of food is more difficult by virtue of its variety and
the multiplicity of its sources. During the year the Public Health
Inspectors both on the district and at the wharves devoted a great deal
of attention to this problem, and as a result of their efforts there is
a marked improvement in standards. Certain difficulties are, however,
encountered from time to time. In particular I have in mind the large
quantities of egg products which are imported through the wharves in
Southwark. Some of these products can, under certain conditions, forma
suitable medium for the growth of bacteria. In this respect, liquid egg
has many similarities to liquid milk. As a result of pasteurisation,
designation, and many other far reaching measures, milk is now a pure
product which can be consumed with confidence. By contrast it is not
unusual to isolate various strains of salmonellae from samples of
consignments of egg products coming into this country. During 1958
samples of frozen whole hen egg from two vessels were found to contain
salmonella paratyphi B, the causal organism of paratyphoid fever, and
both of these consignments were re-exported for pasteurisation. It is of
course only practicable to sample a proportion of any given consignment.
Fortunately the importers are most co-operative, but even so there is at
present always a possibility that at any time some egg product infected
with salmonellae may be sold in this country. Egg products are extensively
used in the baking trade and certain bakers prefer the imported
to the home produced variety. Suitable pasteurising plants are not
coming on the market and in the interest of public health there seems
little doubt that these products should either be pasteurised, or
subjected to some form of heat treatment. The wider adoption of suet
measures would, undoubtedly, result in an improved bacteriological
standard.
Clean Air
In my report last year reference was made to the fact that in the
early part of 1958 the Council had approved in principle the establishment
of a smoke control area in the mainly residential district bounded
by Walworth Road, Trafalgar Street, Dawes Street and Westmoreland Road,
It was intended that the Order should come into operation in October,
1959. Consequent, however, upon a meeting of local fuel suppliers which
was held in the Town Hall in 1958, the Council were not satisfied that
ample supplies of smokeless fuel other than coke would be readily
available, and being of the opinion that a great many people, especially
the aged, are averse to coke fires, decided to take no further action