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143
PUBLIC HEALTH LEGISLATION DURING 1915.
During the year the Notification of Births (Extension) Act,
1915, was passed. The effect of this Act is to make universal
throughout the country the system of the Notification of Births
Act, 1907, under which early information concerning all births is
required to be given to the Medical Officer of Health, and Local
Authorities are enabled to make arrangements for the care of the
mothers, including expectant mothers, and young children. The
Act definitely contemplates that the powers of Sanitary Authorities
will be used to promote the care of mothers and young children.
Early in the year the Local Government Board issued, in
pursuance of the Public Health (Regulations as to Eood) Act,
1907, the Public Health (Shellfish) Regulations, 1915, which
prohibit the sale of shellfish likely to cause danger to public health.
Numerous representations had been made by Local Authorities
to the effect that further powers are required to prevent danger
to health from the consumption of shellfish which have been grown
or fattened in polluted water, and a considerable number of cases
of enteric fever and of other illness have been caused by the
consumption of such shellfish. Machinery is provided by the
Regulations for the closing of shellfish layings where the evidence
justifies such action by an Order of the Local Sanitary Authority,
and the Sanitary Authority of a district in which the layings are
situated are required to take action on receipt of a representation
from another Local Authority in whose district the shellfish are
consumed.
FOOD AND DRUGS.
Under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 156 samples of food
and drugs were taken and analysed. The results are shown in
Table IX.
12 of the samples purchased in the Borough in 1915 were not
satisfactory; and, therefore, the percentage of non-genuine
samples amounted to 7.6 per cent., a figure which is slightly