INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25365, 12 December 1947, Page 3

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Sir,—lt is a thousand pities—nay more—that the Mayor has expressed an opinion regarding pasteurisation of milk. The public health authorities require all the support possible in their nght against the epidemic now facing us. Pasteurised milk is the only milk safe to use at any time and more particularly at this time. Pasteurised milk can only become unusable when exposed to dust, flies, and people’s salivary droplets, but that would be due to crass carelessness of the conc miners. Unpastetifised milk always contains pathogenic organisms, no matter how careful the milkman may be. If milk could be extracted,, stored and sold under strictly aseptic conditions then it might be all right if the cows themselves are free from tuberculosis, undulant fever, and the different cocci. The Mayor should be the first to uphold the authority of and support the Medical Officer of Health. Pasteurisation does not destroy the vitamins of milk.—Yours, etc., T. A. MacGIBBON, M.D. December 11, 1947.

Sir, —The Minister of Health (Miss M. B. Howard) is to be highly congratulated on her prompt action, and it is hoped that the “drastic steps” will not be necessary, that the adult and family population will co-operate with any organisational work that may be necessary. But does the Minister go far enough? What about eating houses, hotels, and places of amusemen.t where the adult population congregates, milk bars, etc., where the children are tempted this warm weather to over-inaulge? Personally, I f ?1 that the Minister should have been more definite in respect to carnivals, fairs, etc., and made the holding of these definitely illegal, as there are bound to *be some hungry individuals ■who will not care two hoots about the welfare of the health of the populace as long as they see monetary gain.— Yours, etc., H. E. BARNSLEY. December 11, 1947.