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37
COCKLES.
In December, 1902, in consequence of some cases of Enteric Fever in
Wandsworth having occurred that were attributed to the consumption of
cockles from Leigh-on-Sea purchased in Billingsgate Market, I reported
fully upon, the dangerous nature of this shellfish as sold under
the existing conditions.
The Fishmongers' Company endeavoured to meet the case by compelling
the discontinuance of the practice of laying cockles in the sewage-polluted
water of Leigh Creek, and the exercise of greater care in their preparation, so
as to assure more perfect cooking.
In my last Annual Report I referred to the unsatisfactory nature of these
measures, and pointed out the impossibility of ensuring that they would be
carried out in practice.
In June last, fresh cases of Enteric Fever having been reported as traceable
to shellfish, further samples of Leigh cockles were purchased at Billingsgate
and submitted to Professor Klein for analysis.
These samples, four in number, all showed evidence of sewage-pollution,
and that in the process of cooking the temperature had not been high enough
to ensure devitalisation of sewage bacilli, thus clearly showing the impossibility
of relying upon any arrangement with irresponsible fishermen to carry
out precautions necessary to protect the public health.
These facts were brought to the notice of the Fishmongers' Company, who
informed me on the 11th June last that on the previous Saturday they had
seized no less than 70 gallons of cockles in Billingsgate Market, which they
had reason to believe had been relaid in Leigh Creek.
In the following October, on learning from correspondence and the Report
of the Medical Officer of Health for the Port of London that the Leigh
cocklers still failed to carry out their undertaking as to the deposit and
cooking of cockles, three samples were again taken.
On these Professor Klein reported on the 12th October that they were all
polluted with sewage, one to a dangerous extent. This showed that the
cooking of them must have been very superficial, since they all contained
abundance of non-sporing microbes (bacillus coli and streptococci), which are
killed by a temperature of 165° F.—i.e., far below the temperature of boiling
water.
A copy of this Report, together with a letter calling attention to the serious
condition of affairs, was immediately sent to the Fishmongers' Company,