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factory and the place of production and the insertion of the signature of the
Veterinary Surgeon, facsimilies of which are reproduced in the notice.
THE FOOD AND DRUGS (WHALEMEAT) REGULATIONS, 1949.
NEW ZEALAND VETERINARY CERTIFICATE.
Circular MF8/49 of the Ministry of Food, dated 6th July 1949, calls attention
to a notice published in the London Gazette containing in the Schedule thereto the
description of a label issued by the Government of the Dominion of New Zealand
which is recognised as a Veterinary Certificate for the purposes of the Food and
Drugs (Whalemeat) Regulations, 1949.
The certificate is in the form of a label and is completed by the insertion
of the number of the Establishment.
X X X X X X X
WHALEMEAT.
An interesting situation arises in connection with the large imports of
whalemeat that have arrived and are expected to arrive in the near future.
The greater proportion of the whalemeat is not intended for human consumption
and bears a certificate to that effect. It is packed, ho-wever, in very much the
same my as whalemeat that is fit for human consumption and it would be very easy,
merely by removing the wrapping, to render the meat indistinguishable from meat
fit for human consumption.
On the other hand the market for whalemeat for human consumption seems to be
diminishing and, therefore, there may be little danger in a manoeuvre of this kind.
There is a further interesting point in the matter of the supervision of the
destination of large quantities of frozen whalemeat labelled unfit for human
consumption. In the case of all other meat and meat products, if unfit for human
consumption, the Port Medical Officer would make certain that it only passed into
industrial channels but the whalemeat, being kept in cold storage for long
periods before disposal, renders such supervision impracticable. In any case
most of the whalemeat condemns itself by its unpalatability so that the danger is
more theoretical than real.
DANGEROUS DRUGS.
During the year fourteen certificates authorising the purchase of scheduled
Dangerous Drugs -were issued under the Dangerous Drugs (No. 3) Regulations, 1923 ,
amending the Dangerous Drugs Regulations, 1921, regulation 15 of which is as
follows
"If a foreign ship in any port in Great Britain requires to obtain a supply
of any of the drugs in order to complete the necessary equipment of the
ship, the master of the ship is authorised to purchase and be in possession
of such quantity of any of the drugs as may be certified by the Medical
Officer of Health of the Port where the ship is (or in his absence by the
Assistant Medical Officer of Health) to be necessary for the purpose, the
quantity not to exceed what is required for the use of the ship until it
next reaches it home port.
The certificate given by the Medical Officer or Assistant Medical Officer
of Health of the Port shall be marked by the supplier with the date of the
supply and shall be retained by him and kept available for inspection".
PUBLIC HEALTH ACT, 1936 - PART X - CANAL BOATS.
On the 19th January, 1950, the Port Medical Officer made a report on the
steps taken to carry into effect the provisions of Part X of the Public Health Act,
(33)