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Much of the River Roach is worked by shellfish companies who use the Roach as a growing
area and transplant their oysters to some other vicinity for fattening and marketing.
An exception is Keeble Bros, of Paglesham whose oyster beds are mainly outside the district
of the Port of London Health Authority but who bring their oysters to Paglesham — within
the Authority's area — to be sorted and graded and stored in oyster pits at Paglesham in preparation
for sale. Keeble Bros, are a comparatively small 'family' firm who deal mainly in high class
Natives and who have definite old-established outlets for their oysters. So far as is known they
have never had any trouble with pollution. Theirs is essentially a winter trade.
Another firm which markets from within the Port Health Authority's district is the Essex
Oyster Co. at Barling Hall Creek. In contrast to Keeble Bros., the Essex Oyster Co. work
mainly with Portuguese oysters for the summer trade at Southend-cn-Sea. The Company has
been in existence for many years, and, in addition to the layings in Barling Hall Creek, has
some oyster beds in the River Roach. At their Depot at Barling Hall Creek there is a concrete
barge which has been modified and adapted for use in storing the Portuguese oysters which
have been graded and are ready for sale. If this storage is performed intelligently it can
be an important factor in ridding oysters of any possible pollution they may have retained from
the creeks. But as Barling Hall Creek and the River Roach are not "prohibited areas"the Port
Health Authority have no reason to insist on "cleansing" or to supervise any voluntary cleansing
which may take place.
During 1961 Mr. P.C. Wood of the Fisheries Laboratory, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Food at Burnham-on-Crouch has made a significant advance in the technique of purifying
oysters by completing his investigation into the use of Ultra-violet Light for sterilising sea
water.
Using apparatus which Mr. Wood has devised it is now possible to instal and run quite
cheaply a small oyster purification plant suitable for individual producers. There is such an
apparatus at Billingsgate which uses artificial sea water and which is giving very satisfactory
results. There is another experimental apparatus of earlier design at Barling Hall Creek which
has not so far been brought up-to-date and on which there are no recent data. In other parts of
the country there are several of these new small plants.
THE COCKLE INDUSTRY AT LEIGH-ON-SEA
Since the outbreak of food-poisoning in 1949 which was partially attributed to cockles, the
Cockle Industry at Leigh has been gratifyingly free from troubles.
The Industry received much attention from the Port Health Authority and the County Borough
of Southend-on-Sea in 1949 and the years immediately after. The methods of cooking the cockles,
and the subsequent washing, were investigated and improvements were suggested. The personnel
were lectured and trained in hygiene, and in all these matters the industry co-operated
whole-heartedly.
The improvements made at that time have been generally maintained. In many of the
Establishments the hygiene is very good indeed. There remains,— as always in an Industry
such as this — a hard core of "old timers" who will resist changes and improvements, and with
these it is still necessary from time to time to apply pressure in order to maintain the standard
achieved.
Samples of Cockles, cooked, washed and ready for sale are taken regularly by the Public
Health Department of the County Borough of Southend-on-Sea for bacteriological examination.
The Port Health Authority's Order dated 25th July 1957 restricting the gathering of shellfish
on the South side of the Estuary has had the effect of eliminating the casual shellfish processors
who formerly operated with primitive equipment on the Kent shore.
Cockles are still from time to time collected from the "prescribed area" but they are brought
to Leigh where they are sterilised in approved apparatus in accordance with the provisions of
the Order, and they have caused no trouble.
SECTION XV-MEDICAL INSPECTION OF ALIENS
1. List of Medical Inspectors of Aliens holding warrants of appointment on 31st December, 1961.
Dr. J.Greenwood Wilson, Dr. H.M. Willoughby, Dr. J.A. Jones, Dr. D.T. Jones, Dr. P.J.Roden,
Dr. D.J. Avery, Dr. J.B. Maguire, Dr. J.O. Murray, Dr. W.T.R ougie r Chapman.
2. List of other staff engaged on the work.
Clerical staff at the Central Office.
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