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137
Probably the mere existence of sewage matter without the incidental chance
of specific infection will be sufficient to justify prohibition in the minds of
most persons.
The responsibility of the Corporation in this question is great. Firstly,
the cockles are sold in the City, and secondly, they are obtained and relaid
within the jurisdiction of the Corporation, the Sanitary Authority for the Port
of London.
Full details, so far as obtainable, were therefore forwarded to Dr. Williams,
the Port Medical Officer, with whom, on the 3rd January, I visited Leighon-Sea,
and inspected the Creek where the cockles are laid (see below).
Dr. Williams obtained and submitted to Professor Klein samples of mud and
water from the Creek, and (No. 10) also of cockles lying in situ on the bank.
Both mud and water were obviously filthy, and without any further
examination it was evident that the Creek is not a proper place to deposit
cockles in.
To Dr. Williams I am indebted for the following Report of Dr. Klein on
the three above-mentioned samples.
January 7th, 1903.
The following is the, as yet, incomplete Report of the bacterioscopic analysis of
the three samples received here on January 5th, per Dr. Williams :—
1.—One sample of Water, labelled "Water taken from Leigh Creek, low tide,
11.30 a.m., 3rd December, 1902."
2.—One sample of Mud and Cockles from Leigh Creek, low tide, "taken by
Medical Officer of Health, 3rd January, 1903."
These samples will be nominated —
No. 11. Water from Leigh Creek;
„ 12. Mud from Leigh Creek; and
„ 10. Cockles, respectively.
No. 11. This water contained at least ¼ million microbes per 1 c.c. The water
contained abundance of bacillus coli communis and spores of bacillus enteritidis
sporogenes; of the latter at least 10 spores per 1 c.c., of the former at least 100 per
1 c.c.
From this it follows that the water is practically dilute sewage.
No. 12. Mud.—1 gramme of mud was distributed in 10 c.c. of sterile water.
After allowing the mineral matter to settle, of the slightly turbid fluid 1/10 c.c., ¼ c.c.
and 1 c.c. were used for demonstrating the presence of the bacillus coli communis, and
the spores of bacillus enteritidis sporogenes, and the result was practically the same
as stated of the water, viz., abundance of bacillus coli communis and of spores of
bacillus enteritidis in 1/10 c.c.