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74
merit Board. In view of this, further action as regards condensed
milk will probably be suspended for a little time. In the
remaining sample, which was reported upon in similar terms to
the previous one, the same line of action was pursued.
Of the other samples of food, one of tinned salmon was
certified to be unfit for human consumption on account of the
presence, in large numbers, of a streptococcus. The sardines
were perfectly free from organisms capable of growth at 37° C.
and the other samples were passed as sound.
On the general question of bacteriological examination of
food I wish to impress, if indeed it needs impressing, upon
your Council the desirability of persevering with the line of action
which has been taken up. It will probably be rare for your
Council to have to undertake a prosecution in a case of this kind,
for personally I have always found that a private interview with
the Managing Director or Secretary of the firm concerned has
led to much better results than could possibly have been obtained
by any petty prosecution. It is, in my view, unfair to drag a
firm of repute through the Police Court with the fact ever in
view that no matter what the result may be, a slur has been
cast upon their reputation. There is always in such cases bound
to be a conflict of expert evidence, and this involves the expenditure
of a considerable amount of money. That money would be far
better spent in the securing of greater supervision of the production
of the food product concerned, and in the carrying out
of experiments with plant, etc., to improve the mode of production,
as well as in the carrying out of experiments in order to arrive at
a standard which should be reasonable both from the public
health and the manufacturer's point of view. I have met with
considerable success in carrying out this policy, and I commend
a continuation of it to the consideration of your Council.
DAIRIES AND MILKSHOPS.
Considerable activity has been shown by the Public Health
Department during the whole of 1908 in the supervision of these
important places. The fact that registration is necessary has
been advertised, and a considerable number of applications were
received and dealt with. A few were advised to discontinue the
sale of milk, it being a very subsidiary part of the trade in
certain cases. In other cases registration was held over pending
the carrying out of structural alterations. Every milkshop in
the Borough has been inspected at least once during the year,
and many of them several times. The following card of inquirywas
drawn up by your Medical Officer of Health to guide the
Inspector, and to ensure that no point which might affect the
purity of the milk sold should be overlooked.