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62
In July last I brought this matter forward, and after pointing out the
dangers and the action that had been taken by other Authorities, notably
Brighton, Glasgow, Liverpool, Scarborough, Manchester, Salford, Stockport,
Southport, Newcastle, Oldham, Halifax, throughout the country, urged upon
the Corporation the necessity of obtaining powers to regulate this business.
Attention was called to a Report, issued by the Public Health Committee
of the London County Council, as follows:—
4th July, 1901.
Proposed Legislation as to Sale of Ice Creams.
2.—On 18th June the Council, on our recommendation, instructed the
Parliamentary Committee to seek legislation in the next Session of
Parliament with regard to infectious diseases attributable to milk. The
Medical Officer has since called our attention to the desirableness of
endeavouring to obtain, at the same time, further powers with regard to
the preparation and sale of ice creams in London.
So long ago as 1897 a letter was received from the Strand District
Board of Works, asking the Council to obtain powers for the registration
or regulation of places in which food is sold or prepared for sale. It
appeared that 19 of the London Sanitary Authorities concurred with the
Strand District Board as to the need for these powers.
Dr. Hamer was instructed to inquire as to the conditions existing in
London, and his report showed that there would be advantage if sanitary
authorities had the power to require the removal from places in which
food was prepared for sale, of conditions which might be regarded as
exposing such food to risk of contamination. With respect to places
where ice cream was prepared, the fact that outbreaks of disease had
occurred from the consumption of this commodity justified a claim for
more complete control than could be shown in the case of other articles
of food.
In reporting to the Council on the subject in March, 1899, we stated
that we proposed to consider the question in connection with amendments
of the Public Health (London) Act.
It may be mentioned that in 1895 the Glasgow Corporation obtained
powers to extend to ice creams the provisions of the Dairies, Cowsheds
and Milkshops Order relating to milk, and in 1898 Liverpool, which had
had experience during 1897 of the spread of enteric fever by ice cream,
much in the same way as occurred in Deptford in 1891, obtained sanction