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106
Minories, was attacked with Enteric Fever. A sample was submitted to
Professor Klein, who reported as under:—
"1. No bacillus typhosus was detected in the sample.
"2. The sample contained in great abundance a highly virulent bacillus, which
"belongs to the coli group, but is distinctly different from bacillus coli
"communis. A trace of culture proved virulent on injection of a guinea pig."
This ice cream was manufactured in Stepney, and the Medical Officer of
Health of that Borough stated, in reply to enquiries, that it was made under
insanitary conditions, and that a sample submitted by him to bacterioscopic
examination was found to contain the bacillus coli communis.
Although the specific organism of typhoid was not found in the sample,
there appeared to be sufficient evidence to warrant the conclusion that the
patient's illness was probably due to the consumption of ice cream made
under insanitary conditions.
These facts are an ample illustration of the necessity of rigidly enforcing
the requirements of the statute relating to the manufacture and sale of this
article of food.
During the summer months an inspection was made of the two hundred
and thirty-nine shops where ice creams are sold within the City of London,
and these premises were kept under constant supervision.
It was found that ice creams were manufactured at seventy-two premises in
the City of London, and that in one hundred and fifty-four instances the
commodity exposed for sale was manufactured at places outside the City.
When the manufacture took place in the City, the premises were periodically
visited, and the Regulations in regard to the manufacture and sale of ice
creams enforced. Insanitary conditions were discovered in eleven instances,
and remedial works were duly executed.
In cases where the manufacture was carried on outside the City, the
Medical Officer of Health of the District in which the ice cream was made
was advised of the name and address of the manufacturer, and asked for
information as to the sanitary condition of the manufactory, &c. In three
cases unfavourable replies were received, and steps were at once taken to
prevent ice creams manufactured at these places from being sold until the
occupiers had complied with the requirements of the Medical Officer of Health
of the District, and an intimation received to that effect. The utensils and
material of forty-seven itinerant ice cream vendors were inspected, and the
place of manufacture of their wares ascertained. In one case only was the
article found to be manufactured within the City; as in the above cases the
District Medical Officers of Health were advised in each instance, with
satisfactory results.