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64
"Under these circumstances the whole of the facts were reported to
the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers, which has extensive powers
over the fishing industry throughout the country.
"The Company at once put their powers into force, and issued instructions
that they, having previously sent down one of the Companyper cent.s
Inspectors to inspect the site, and receiving from him a report to the
effect that the relayings of cockles were in close proximity to the outfall
of sewage, gave the cocklers to understand that they would not on
any account whatever allow any more cockles than were then actually
ready for the market to he relaid in the Leigh Estuary and subsequently
boiled, but that if they were to undertake faithfully that they would
only take cockles from the parent beds on the Maplins and elsewhere,
and boil them directly they were landed without in any way allowing
them to be contaminated by any sewage, they would allow their consignments
to be sold in London.
"This action was taken on the assumption that the original source of
collection, viz., the Maplin and Blythe Sands, were uncontaminated with
sewage, as it was clearly unjustifiable to condemn any cockles until they
had been actually proved to be polluted. It was, however, obviously
necessary to establish this fact beyond doubt, and samples were obtained
by the officers of the Fishmongersper cent. Company from the gathering grounds,
with the result that cockles from these sources were already polluted
before being brought to Leigh.
"The results of Professor Kleinper cent.s experiments clearly point to extensive
pollution of the whole estuary of the River Thames, and| the consequent
contamination of such shellfish and fish as are found therein.
The extent to which such pollution affects the food supply is one that
can only be determined by a complete investigation. It is most desirable
that such an investigation should be put in hand at the earliest possible
moment, as undoubtedly the whole of the Thames fishery is under grave
suspicion. All shellfish should certainly be examined, and, in addition,
all sprats, whitebait and smelts, these latter being eaten "uncleaned,"
and the cooking being of such a nature as not to ensure a high temperature
throughout the whole fish."
Serious outbreaks of typhoid fever and other illness having arisen
from oysters eaten at Winchester and Southampton, an examination
was made by Dr. Klein of oysters from Emsworth, Bosham, Mumbles,
and Southwick, and they were found to be contaminated with sewage,
as were also some taken from a storage pit (since closed) at Whitstable.
Whitstable oysters taken direct from beds were found unpolluted.
The Council of the City of Westminster adopted a resolution that
"in the interests of the public health, the laying down of all edible
forms of shellfish in sewage polluted creeks or other dangerous localities