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and Drugs Act, 1938, and could not appropriately be dealt with
under byelaws.
Now (from 1st May, 1947) the Ice Cream (Heat Treatment,
etc.) Regulations, 1947, are in force and a pamphlet has been
distributed to all persons registered, pointing out duties and
obligations with regard to premises and their cleanliness, the
cleanliness of utensils, cleanliness of persons engaged in its preparation,
storage and sale, reporting the occurrence of milk-borne
diseases, the avoidance of delay in a mix ibeing frozen. In
view of the possibility of ice cream becoming infected with
various disease germs and so acting as a vehicle in the spread of
some dangerous illnesses, such points as these require constant
care and the strictest vigilance. Failure in any one of these
essentials may be the beginning of the train of circumstances
leading to disastrous results, for example, the spread of typhoid
fever, dysentery and similar diseases. Additional precautions
are recommended such as that any person suffering from diarrhoea,
realising the danger of spread, should obtain medical advice before
resuming employment in connection with ice cream, as also should
any person suffering from whitlow or such like septic skin conditions.
A Iblood test is available which may assist to detect any
chronic typhoid or enteric carrier condition and proprietors of
ice cream premises are informed as a routine that arrangements
will be made for this test on application to the Public Health
Department. This test is carried out at the Central Public Health
Laboratory, Colindale.
Constant attention was given to the cleanliness of milk under
the Special Designations Orders. With recent developments in
the industry the larger firms are supplying a still greater number
of the public. In the report for the year 1936 it was remarked
that 92.6% of the milk delivered in Wembley was either tuberculin
tested, pasteurised or sterilised, the percentage of the milk
delivered which was pasteurised being 89.13%. A review was
made in January, 1947, as to the position and it is safe to say
that about 98.5% of the milk consumed in Wembley is now heat
treated under regulation. It is still not well enough understood
that in circumstances as they are to-day the only safe milk is an
efficiently heat treated supply.
4. Ministry of Health Circular No. 13/47 requests some
information regarding the public water supply. The water
supply to the Borough is by the Colne Valley Water Company and
the Rickmansworth and Uxbridge Water Company. These supplies
are sampled bacteriologically at frequent intervals at various
points (74 examinations were made in the twelve months), and
copies of the bacteriological reports forwarded to the Water
Companies, while also the Water Companies submit periodically
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