View report page

45
It is noticeable that these are referred to as "Prohibitory Order," but they do
not in fact prevent the sale of shell-fish taken from polluted foreshores if the food be
properly dealt with and rendered unharmful.
Pending appeal and the confirmation the Orders were operative.
An Order was issued in Liverpool, dated 9th January, 1918, in which the terms
and proviso were closely in accordance with those put forward in 1916 by the Port
Sanitary Authority and recently confirmed by the Local Government Board, except
that the relaying period is fixed at "at least two weeks" instead of one month.
The lesser period of two weeks would appear to be of acceptable duration for the
relaying of shell-fish brought from a polluted area.
The Local Government Board have issued special regulations with regard to certain
shell-fish layings, of which I bring the following chief requirements to the notice of
your Worshipful Committee for comparison with Orders issued in the district of the
Port of London Sanitary Authority:—
Oysters.—To remain in the place of cleansing for at least fifteen days.
Cockles, Mussels and Butterfisii.—All distribution for sale prohibited unless
and until they have been subjected to a process of sterilisation by steaming under
pressure in a suitable apparatus for at least six minutes.
Butterfisii is an eel of salt or brackish water habitat.
Your Worshipful Committee will temetnbsr that in drawing up Orders comparable
to these special regulations, objection was taken to the separation of shell-fish into
categories as unprovided for in the 1915 regulations, and conformably the Order was
made to include all kinds of shell-fish. A proviso was, however, added that sterilised
cockles and winkles were outside the Order as to relaying.
It will be noted that the special regulations referred to above separate the
categories of shell-fish and provide differing treatment, and include fish which, like
shell-fish, is dangerous if taken from a polluted area; and that the more ready
cleansing of oysters than other shell-fish by relaying, is recognised in the minimum
relaying time required, namely, fifteen days.