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the milk is not contaminated by flies or dust, or decanted into dirty
jugs. If it is imperative for the milk vendor to ensure that his
utensils are sterilised so as to be thoroughly clean, it is equally important
for the consumer, and the Milk Retailers Association point
out with a certain amount of truth that a large proportion of the
blame for dirty milk which causes trouble with the children is produced
by contamination after the milk reaches the home.
The reason why so many Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics
use large quantities of dried milk is that they thus ensure for the
child a perfectly clean sterile milk, which has the least possible
chance of contamination in the home.
Meat Inspection.
1. Meat Inspection.—The Chief Sanitary Inspector and the
District Sanitary Inspectors hold special certificates for meat inspection.
Slaughter-houses and butcher's shops are visited
periodically.
During the year no diseased meat was seized, but 7027¾ lbs.
were surrendered. Until June there were 8 slaughter-houses in
use, one registered slaughter-house then closed down leaving 7 still
in use, and there are 34 butcher's shops in the district. Each
slaughter-house received on an average 12.3 visits per month.
2. Public Abattoir.—The is no public abattoir in the district.
Slaughtering may take place any time, subject to the requisite
notice being given. From time to time suggestions have been
brought forward as to the possibility of establishing an abattoir.
I have on every occassion advised against it, on the grounds that I
do not think that at the present time the expense is justified, owing
to the fact that by far the greater part of the meat coming into the
district is bought at Smithfield and inspected there. There does
not seem to be with the growth of the district any demand for
further facilities for slaughtering at present.
3. Action under Section 117, Public Health Act, 1875.—
None during 1926.