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37
with that made on behalf of the City authorities. The Alderman
accepted the statement made on behalf of Mr. Ullmann, that he
had taken every precaution, but granted the condemnation order
asked for.
On hearing from Dr. Collingridge, I at once saw Mr. Ullmann, and
visited his three shops in the City of Westminster, and he made a
similar statement to me, but undertook not to dispose of the oysters at
these establishments until the result of the examination was ascertained.
The examination proving unfavourable, the oysters (250 in all) at his
shops were destroyed by Mr. Ullmann.
(c) I understand that Portuguese oysters have on more than one
occasion been found to be sewage-polluted, and that there are strong
suspicions that the pollution takes place before they are relaid in this
country, and that even after relaying in clean beds for a considerable
period they do not get rid of the contamination. British-born oysters,
of Portuguese origin, remain absolutely unpolluted, when raised in
proper localities.
In view of the opening of the oyster season, the Fishmongers'
Company have issued a notice stating that a number of oyster
merchants and others have pledged themselves to use every effort
in their power to insure that none but healthy oysters from uncontaminated
sources should be placed upon the market for sale. So far
this is satisfactory, but it does not go far enough, as there is no
guarantee to the purchaser that oysters he may be buying are from the
above sources. What is required, alike in the interests of the public
and the trade itself, is that the purchaser may be assured that he is
buying an article of food which it is safe for him to eat.
The Fishmongers' Company, finding that the Leigh Cocklers were
not carrying out their undertaking as to the deposit and cooking of
cockles, on the 14th October wrote to each of them that from that date
the sale of cockles.from Leigh is absolutely prohibited. There is no
doubt, from the reports obtained by the City of London and bv the
Fishmonger's Company, that shell-fish from other points on the Thames
Estuary besides Leigh are polluted, as for example at West Shoebury
(one of the above cases ate cockles at Gravesend) and the Fishmongers'
Company have now prohibited the sale in London of any shell-fish from
the Thames Estuary.
Several cases having been traced at times to a particular place
of business in the City, communications were made to the persons
supplying this dealer. Enquiry into the case showed that the dealer
dealt with two wholesale men, and more regularly with one than
the other, and the evidence pointed to the latter as the source of
the infected oysters. The facts were communicated to the Fishmongers'