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88
There would have been a fourth seizure to report, but for the
Inspector being prevented by the offender pitching the unsound
food into a passing mud cart. He (the offender) was proceeded
against and convicted for obstructing the officer in the discharge
of his duties.
A large quantity of unsound food has been surrendered by
persons who had purchased it from the wholesale merchants for
the purpose of sale. These consignments comprised mackerel,
hake, skate, codlings, rabbits, turkeys, beef and milk. This last
case presented some peculiarities, and although the milk was
surrendered by the owner it was deemed advisable to have it
condemned by a Justice of the Peace. This was accordingly
done, the milk and sediment were microscopically examined by
the Medical Officer of Health and the beasts on the farm from
which the milk came were subsequently inspected, but it was
found impossible to take any action.
The inspection of foods is one of the difficult duties an
Inspector has to perform ; a thoroughly unsound or obviously
diseased article is clearly unsaleable, and one never sees such
exposed for sale; the slightly unsound article then becomes very
largely a matter of opinion, one expert having no hesitation in
condemning, while another would refuse.
There can be no doubt that the practice of giving certificates
of destruction for unsound food which has been surrendered by
the owner prevents a large quantity of unsound food being
exposed for sale. Tradesmen recognise that it is to their
advantage to submit for examination any article of food of which
they have any doubt.
Gipsies.—These troublesome visitors still continue to annoy.
On 268 occasions, visits to their caravans and tents were made.
The interior of these dwellings may be generally described as
dirty and overcrowded, but as they practically exist in the open
air, the occupants do not seem to suffer by the conditions under
which they live. They are a pest to the inhabitants residing near
vacant land where they encamp, for they are continually begging
for water, etc.