TYPHOID FEVER

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27112, 7 August 1953, Page 7

TYPHOID FEVER

Sir, —lf the milk sold by the Christchurch Milk Supply is infected with typhoid fever germs and needs pasteurising to make it safe for customers to drink, why was the milk unpasteurised, allowed to be sold on Saturday and Sunday. As reported on Saturday morning, Dr. Kennedy, Medical Officer of Health, Mr Mathison, M.P., chairman of the Metropolitan Milk Board, and Mr W. Warner, chairman of Christchurch Milk Supply, were all in agreement that the raw milk being sold by Mr Warner’s company was under suspicion. It follows that the milk company renders itself liable for action for selling milk unfit for food and the health officer slipped in his duty in allowing it to be sold. “T’was they themselves that said it.” Call it a “raw deal.”—Yours, etc., CHAS. E. ALLEN. August 4, 1953. [“The company did not receive the recommendation from the health authorities until Saturday’s milk had been bottled and stored ready for delivery. Pasteurisation started 100 per cent, on Sunday morning.” This reply was given by the chairman of the Christchurch Milk Supply (Mr W. P. Warner) when the above letter was referred to him for comment.]

Sir, —Mr E. Smith is reminded that there is. unfortunately, always the exceptional case in this wholly preventable disease, typhoid fever. In the year 1949 only 24 cases of typhoid and paratyphoid occurred in the whole of New Zealand, comprising about 2,000,000 people. A.fable illustrates the point I wish to emphasise. A citizen met the plague after leaving Babylon. “You wrought havoc in our city. I hear you killed 10,000 people.” “No, that is untrue. I killed three people. Fear killed the rest.” —Yours, etc,, JOHN BURBRIDGE. August 6, 1953.

Sir.—l infer from newspaper report that the chairman of the Metropolitan Milk Board admits that raw milk lately supplied to consumers in the Christchurch district renders them on drinking it liable to typhoid' fever. Questions arising are: (1) does pasteurisation kill typhoid germs? (2) If pollution is from source of supply, would 13,000 gallons mentioned as the output of the Christchurch milk supply be affected, all being mixed? (3) What time elapses from cow to consumer? (4) Can pasteurised milk be reinfected through dirty bottles or equipment? (5) If this can happen in winter can we expect worse in summer? (6) Will each separate supplier’s contribution be tested to find the cause of the outbreak? (7) Will all be well when raw milk is off the menu?—Yours, etc., FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED. August 2. 1953.

[A reply to this letter was given by a member and former chairman of the Metropolitan Milk Board (Mr W. P. Warner) in place of the present chairman (Mr J. Mathison, M.P.). who is out of town. Mr Warner replied as follows: “(1) Yes. (2) It is possible. (3) This evening’s and tomorrow morning’s milk will be treated tomorrow morning and will be held in cool storage till Saturday morning. (4) Yes. But all equipment and bottles are thoroughly sterilised. (5) Luckily it happened in the winter. (6) Yes. (7) Ambiguous.”]

Sir,—Already correspondents are feeling the pressure being applied to regiment them. Admittedly there are isolated typhoid cases, but nothing so far has been proved against raw milk, although one treating house supply is under suspicion. The Christchurch Metropolitan Milk Board and the local Health Officer immediately try to save face by going to the Minister of Health for an amendment to the law in order to upset local legislation respecting our right of choice. The Milk Consumers’ Protection Association has also written to the Minister of Health and is arranging a public meeting. Correspondents “Freedom,” “Democracy” and “BAA-BAA,” who advocate a resistance group and others interested are able to join an organisation, already working in no small way for the principles involved. Already many people have stopped buying milk from treating houses.— Yours, etc., UNITY IS STRENGTH. August 6, 1953.

Sir, —Mr E. Smith’s letter will not change the mind of John Burbridge or myself. I know only too well what typhoid is, my own daughter having been a patient of the Kaikoura outbreak. She still consumes her pint of raw milk daily and will not touch pasteurised. Little wonder, when on two occasions during our “no choice” period I removed the morning’s milk from the refrigerator in the form of junket. The present cases of typhoid are the isolated ones which appear from time to time, but form an excuse for the authorities to wield the heavy stick. The whole set-up of pasteurisation smacks of dictatorship, allowing those responsible to earn their cash the simple way. If the powers that be attacked the trouble at the beginning, we consumers might get good clean, body-building raw milk. Why not put it to the consumers at the next municipal elections?—Yours, etc., STILL RAW MILK. August 6, 1953.