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received showing that nine were in an unsatisfactory condition. For obvious
reasons, the result of such investigations are not here referred to in detail, and
in the Table of Analyses the addresses outside the City limits are omitted.
The 32 places within the City where ice creams are made and sold were
carefully inspected, and in 15 of them sanitary defects discovered, which were
subsequently remedied.
As regards (ii.) Sub-section (b) of Section 42, which enacts that "any
"person being a manufacturer of ice creams, who in the manufacture,
"sale or storage of any such commodity does any act or thing likely to
"expose such commodity to infection or contamination, or omits to
"take any proper precaution for the due protection of such commodity
"from infection or contamination," will give ample power to insist
upon the freezing being carried out immediately after the mixture is
boiled, and, as a matter of fact, this has already been carried out.
The majority of the manufacturers are aliens, and although the premises
may be kept in a fairly sanitary condition, their personal habits unfortunately
leave much to be desired where the preparation of food is concerned.
As a result of this enquiry the following facts were established:—
(1) That in a number of cases of illness occurring among young persons of
a susceptible age the symptoms were strictly identical, and were
characteristic of poisoning by ingestion of toxic material.
(2) That the cases reported followed the ingestion of ice creams.
(3) That ice creams subsequently obtained at shops frequented by the
patients contained bacilli of a virulent character.
(4) That the symptoms observed were those generally following the
ingestion of material containing such bacilli.
(5) That where pathogenic bacilli were found, the ices had been manufactured
under insanitary conditions.
Beyond this your Medical Officer was unable at the time to draw further
conclusions, but recommended that:—
(i.) Professor Klein be asked to pursue his enquiries into the origin, and
life history, &c., of these pathogenic bacilli.
(ii.) That measures of a preventive character, as above indicated, be taken
within the City; and
(iii.) That a copy of this Report be sent to the Local Government Board,
the London County Council, and the Metropolitan Boroughs.
These recommendations were agreed to.
It may be permitted to point out that the above-mentioned facts amply
justified the action taken by the Corporation on the advice of your Medical
Officer in promoting with the London County Council the Act giving to each
Borough Council power to deal efficiently with this special trade.