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But, after all the most important question is, how to prevent the
occurrence of such cases ? And here the difficulty is apparent of
getting such regular skilled inspection of cowsheds (in Town, for
it is hopeless, I fear, to attempt any supervision of the extra
metropolitan sources of milk.supply!) as would suffice to detect
disease in cows or employes, and secure effectual separation of diseased
men and animals from the dairy. Probably nothing would have
a greater effect in breeding caution in the vendors of milk than legislative
enactment imposing severe.penalties (not pecuniary only!) for
the offence of selling for human food the milk of diseased cows.
In the case before us, it would appear that the dairyman knew that
some of his cows were "wrong in their quarters," and yet, though
their milk could be of small value (for disease diminishes the yield
rapidly and greatly), families were exposed to the risk of illness,
and in one case the calamity of death was brought on a household,
that no portion of the profits of business might be lost. We may
charitably and reasonably believe that the dairyman anticipated no
such consequences; but what so likely to prevent the recurrence of
such a catastrophe as a consciousness of the risk incurred by
vending diseased milk ?
Before quitting this subject I may express my opinion that
dairies are multiplied more than is desirable, and as a consequence
(I have adverted to the subject in another part of this report), the
sheds are often of a very unsatisfactory character. Large dairies,
under careful supervision, managed with a due regard to sanitary
requirements in man and animals, and situated in the suburbs or
outskirts of the metropolis, would be a boon the value of which is
likely to be the more appreciated as facts such as those noted
above accumulate.
POPULATION, &c.
The estimated population of Kensington at the middle of the year
was 138,000, an increase of 5,000 over 1873. The Town sub.district
contained about 105,000, and the Brompton sub.district about
33,000 in round numbers. The males numbered about 56,240,
and the females 81,760:—excess of females over males, 25,520.
In every 1,000 there were approximatively 407 males and 593
females. The subjoined table shows the number of persons of
each sex, arranged in groups of ages, at the Census, 1871: