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Now the effect of boiling such a mixture would be to sterilize it to a
considerable extent, and destroy all the benign or protective organisms usually
present. If, therefore, the material were stored while cooling in dirty and
insanitary places, where infective organisms could gain access thereto, such
organisms, free from all interference of saprophytic bacilli, would be under the
most favourable conditions for their rapid multiplication. In other words, the
mere fact of the previous sterilization would greatly increase the possibility of
danger, provided that the pathogenic organism found an entrance.
If this be true, then such ice creams as were stored under improper
conditions, and especially those which were exposed thereto for any length of
time, would be found especially dangerous.
As a matter of fact this was usually found to be the case. Samples Nos. 2,
6 and 19, outside the City, and Nos. 5, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 22
were manufactured in insanitary premises, and in the case of many of these
the length of exposure to such conditions was extremely long, in the case of
No. 13 not less than 72 hours.
The details of samples taken from No. 20, Artillery Lane, are instructive.
The time between boiling and freezing was in all cases long, and the condition of
the premises most insanitary. The whole of the samples taken from 5th
August to 22nd August (10 in number) were found to be poisonous with two
exceptions (Nos. 8 and 9), and of these two, one was taken immediately after
it had been boiled.
The premises were disinfected and cleansed throughout, structural alterations
were carried out which allowed of the material being kept in a clean and wellventilated
place, and the ice cream made under these improved conditions was
found to be wholesome.
The sample, No. 13, which had been kept 72 hours before freezing was
placed in an open bucket in a filthy area exposed to contamination from the
room, area, and a badly kept yard.
The sample of milk, No. 14, which was found to contain the same organisms,
had been exposed to the same sources of contamination.
The great practical points, therefore, to be considered are (i.) the condition
of the premises, and (ii.) the manufacture, so far as the length of time between
boiling and freezing is concerned, and these have been dealt with as under:—
(i.) The ice creams sold in 141 shops in the City were manufactured in
districts outside at 48 different places.
The shops were inspected, and Notices served to rectify any insanitary
conditions where necessary. These have all been complied with.
Notice was sent in each instance to the Medical Officer of Health concerned,
stating the facts of the case, and asking for information as to the sanitary
condition of the premises where the ices were manufactured. Replies were