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141
As Professor Klein points out, the bacilli in question are killed by a
temperature of 160° F., and as they are found to be alive, it follows that this
temperature has not been exceeded.
It is farther stated that if the "fish" were actually boiled they would be
tough and useless.
The question then arose as to dealing with an obviously dangerously
infected source of food supply.
Under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, it is possible to obtain a
Justices' Order to destroy "any article, whether, solid or liquid, intended for
"the food of man, and sold, or exposed for sale, or deposited in any place for
the "purpose of sale, or of preparation for sale, if it appear to such Justice
that the "same is diseased or unsound, or unwholesome, or unfit for the food
of man."
There is no question that the cockles would come under the above section,
and could be so dealt with if the fact were at once evident.
But the necessary examination involves the lapse of a considerable time, in
most cases five or six days, and before the results of such examination
could be known in the case of any one sample, the whole quantity from which
such sample was taken would have been consumed.
Further, even if practicable, such action would only be applicable to such
cockles as were brought within the jurisdiction of the Corporation, and the
owners, if they were so disposed, would be at liberty to send them to any
other part of the country.
Under these circumstances the whole of the facts were reported to the
Worshipful Company of Fishmongers, which has extensive powers over the
fishing industry throughout the country.
The Company at once put their powers into force, and issued instructions
that they, having previously sent down one of the Company's Inspectors to
inspect the site, and receiving from him a report to the effect that the relayings
of cockles were in close proximity to the outfall of sewage, gave the cocklers
to understand that they would not on any account whatever allow any more
cockles than were then actually ready for the market to be relaid in the Leigh
Estuary and subsequently boiled, but that if they were to undertake faithfully
that they would only take cockles from the parent beds on the Maplins and
elsewhere, and boil them directly they were landed without in any way
allowing them to be contaminated by any sewage, they would allow their
consignments to be sold in London.
This action was taken on the assumption that the original source of
collection, viz., the Maplin and Blythe Sands, were uncontaminated with
sewage, as it was clearly unjustifiable to condemn any cockles until they had
been actually proved to be polluted.
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