PASTEURISED MILK.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIX, Issue 11554, 15 April 1898, Page 2

PASTEURISED MILK.

TO THE EDITOR. ’ Sir, —Your remarks under Dairy Notes in yesterday’s paper, with reference to the Christchurch Hospital Board or medical staff, ire to the point, except in one particular. You say the House Surgeon and the Chairman of the honorary staff have expressed their personal opinion on the milk in such a way as to imply doubt whether the process is carried out in such a manner and under such conditions as to be effectual in destroying the disease germs which are at present in the milk. Now, if such an opinion was expressed by the House Surgeon, either before or at the meeting of the Board, I have to say that he simply knew nothing at all about it. He had never taken the trouble to come and see, and did not know if the Central Dairy Company even possessed a pasteurising plant at all. And as for the Chairman of the honorary staff, the first he knew of the matter at all was when he saw my letter in'" your paper three days after the meeting of the Board. Your readers will therefore see that no opinion could possibly be in the possession of the Board when the tenders were before them. I do not know what opinion Drs Fox and Neidwill formed when two days after the meeting they came and asked to see the process of pasteurisation. The fact is, I was so taken aback by their coming then, that but for the fear of being misunderstood, I {should have refused them admission. I asked what motive they could have in coming now, and, as far as Dr Fox was concerned, I told him it looked as though he wanted to see if he could pick a flaw in our mode of working that would justify him in the position taken up. So far as Dr Nedwill is concerned, lus action was perfectly straightforward. When these two gentlemen came first to look through there were two things we could not possibly let them see, so that Dr Nedwill came down on another day, when he was able to see everything, and, from the satisfaction he expressed then, I am quite sure he has not given an unfavourable opinion. It will be well for your readers to suspend judgment until after the next meeting of the Board, as we are asking to be heard by the meeting, and as it is a public institution, no doubt the request will be granted.—l am, &c., *J. KNOTT.