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30
The special circumstances connected with the outbreak of
Scarlet Fever have brought forcibly to my notice, the serious
delays which may arise, before an implicated milk supply is
prohibited entry iuto the district where it is causing disease.
By the Infectious Diseases Prevention Act, 1890, I am
empowered to visit any dairy outside the district, if in my
opinion, the milk therefrom is likely to cause infectious disease
in Merton. But the Order of a Justice of the Peace of the
place in which the dairy is situated must be first obtained,
before a compulsory inspection can be made. If satisfied that
the milk sent out is likely to cause infection, I must report to
my own Council, who may give twenty-four hours' notice to
the dairyman to appear before them, and after hearing him,
may make an order prohibiting the supply within the district.
It will thus be seen that the procedure involves, in face of
an epidemic, a very serious loss of time. In the first place, a
Justice's Order has to be obtained, and this may take time in a
county district, specially as actually happened, the information
of the outbreak was obtained at the week-end. In the
second place, and in all probability, a special meeting of the
Council would have to be called, thus involving another delay,
and after that, a twenty-four hours' notice has to be given to
the dairyman before another meeting can be held and the milk
stopped. But what is to happen in the meanwhile?
Luckily, in our own case, very willing co-operation was
given by the owners of the farms, and the enrtry of milk was
at once stopped without recourse to these cumbersome proceedings.
But the absence of a proper spirit in a vendor may
easily cause serious harm to a district.
Milkshops.—Frequent inspections are made, and it is seen
the milk is kept properly covered. In practically all the
shops efficient arrangements exist for the scalding of cans.
In the exception I have reason to believe that sufficient
cleansing arrangements are made in another place.