MILK AND TYPHOID.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2606, 28 July 1881, Page 2

MILK AND TYPHOID.

[to the editor.] Sir,—You have no doubt seen an account of the outbreak of typhoid fever at Sunnyside and various parts of Christchurch caused by infected milk supplied from a dairy in the Lincoln Hoad. The Health Officer’;; visit, showed it to be in a most disgraceful state of dirt and filth. As this state of affairs may occur in any part of New Zealand, it shows the necessity of a surveillance of all dairies. It is an ascertained fact that milk is a good conductor of various infectious matter, deleterious to the human subject. The South Canterbury Times will, I believe, bo fulfilling a portion of its mission by drawing attention to this matter, as from observation some of the dairies in South Canterbury are not in a very clean condition. A few remarks upon the subject generally may he of interest to the public. The control and inspection of dairies should he with the municipal authorities, who should have power to appoint inspectors, enforce fines, and publish names for gross cases of neglect, as the one at present from which Christchurch is suffering. Tlio following are the component parts of cow’s milk. When there is mfich variation from this, there is room for suspicion licit the article has been tampered with : Per centage. Caseinc 3.G Sugar 4.7 Butter 3.G Salts 0.8 Solid matter ... 12.7 Water 87.3 100.0 This is the average of a large number of analyses made by Dr Lothehy, of London. Milk may be the means of convoying the poisons of enteric fever. It arises from watering the milk or allowing the cattle to drink from impure streams which contain the germs of typhoid, A few years since there was a severe outbreak of typhoid fever at the following places Islington, the neighborhood of Birmingham, Leeds, and at Glasgow, all of which were traceable to the typhoid germs being absorbed by the milk. Unless some stops arc taken to put tliis matter under proper control, there is no security against the typhoid breaking out in tin's or other towns in New Zealand,

There is an English Act, “ The Contagions Diseases (Cattle) _ Act, 1878,” which should give power to - deal effectually with .such matters. The section relating to this is as follows : TIIK CoNTAGK)US DtSKASKS (AnUIAI.S) Act, 1878, Daikiks, Cow Sunns, and Miuk Shops. Section 34.—The Privy Council may from time to time make such general or special orders as they think fit, subject and according to the provisions of this Act, for the following purposes, or any of them : (1.) For the registration with the local authority of all persons carrying on the trade of cow-kceping, dairymen, or purveyors of milk. (2.) For the inspection of cattle in dairies, and for proscribing and regulating the lighting, ventilation, cleansing, drainage, and water supply of dairies and cow-sheds in the occupation of persons following the trade of cowkeepers or dairymen. (3.) For securing the cleanliness of milk stores, milk shops, and of milk vessels used for containing milk for sale bv such persons.

(4.) For prescribing precautions to be taken for protecting milk against infection or contamination.

(y ) For authorising a local authority to make regulations for the purposes aforesaid, or any of them, subject to such conditions, if any, as the Privy Council proscribe. There are a number of other sections of the Act, such as the “ appointment and duties of inspectors ; also their right to enter dairies, Ac., at all reasonable times for the purpose of inspection.” If the Public Health Act does not meet the requirements of the colony, portions of the English Act applicable to Hew Zealand might be drafted, and made the law of JNewZealand during the present sitting of the House of Representatives. —I am, Ac., METALLURGIST. Christchurch, July 23.