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of the bacteriological content of much of the ice cream eaten,
there would be less desire to buy it, particularly for children.
Poliomyelitis appears likely to continue to cause alarm and
distress in future years, and it may well be that very little, if any,
improvement in the poliomyelitis situation may result from
improvement in the cleanliness of food, but it is worth while
bringing about that improvement in the general interests of
public health. Bacteriologically foul ice cream cannot be
conducive to good health.
At present it appears that nothing is to be gained by continually
pressing the Ministry of Health for a statutory bacteriological
standard on which prosecutions could be based, and, even if
there were such a standard, additional measures to deal with the
situation are necessary. Safety surely lies in removing from the
register those doubtful premises which have, unfortunately, been
registered owing to the difficult conditions under which sanitary
inspection has been carried out; refusing to register any such
premises in the future and, in particular, prohibiting the sale of
ice cream from tricycles and stalls, whether in street markets or
elsewhere, and, indeed, from sale under any conditions which do
not fully satisfy the requirements of Section 13 of the Food and
Drugs Act, 1938.
The sale of ice cream from tricycles or stalls, whether in
street markets or elsewhere, should cease in spite of any possible
outcry from the Ice Cream Trade and all premises that do not
conform to the standard of registration as a dairy should be
refused registration for the sale of ice cream, even though this
might lead to some unfavourable decisions in the Courts. Unquestionably,
the remedying of the present unsatisfactory conditions
of sale of ice cream is long overdue.
Early in the year rats coming from the banks of the River
Lea were found to be seriously infesting an area lying between
the Hackney Navigation Cut and the river. In this area there
are no dwelling houses, but in Waterden Road and Eastway there
are ten large factories, and also within the area are situate the
Hackney Wick Stadium and two establishments belonging to the
Ministry of Supply. In conjunction with the factory owners
and the Ministry of Supply, each of whom operated within the
boundaries of their own establishments, and the Public Health
Departments of the neighbouring boroughs of Poplar and West
Ham, who undertook operations on their side of the Lea, a
campaign of extermination was planned. This campaign was put
into operation during the week 13th to 20th January, when 200
baiting points were prepared along the river bank and pre-baiting