THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6296, 17 February 1892, Page 3

THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

REPORT ON THE DAIRIES,

Typhoid fever is rather prevalent in Gisborne just now, and the most interesting part of the proceedings at last evening's meeting of the Borough Council was the reading of reports and discussion of questions relating to the public health. Tae Inspector of Nuisances (Mr T. Favam) reported under date Feb. 11th:— "By your order I inspected Mr Adams' dairy. There is a case of fever there, and I have by the doctor's orders taken some carbelic. The milk, after having been drawn from the cow, never enters the house. It is immediately put into the cart, taken round the town, and sold. Whatever remains is given to a valuable foal. Each time the cows are milked their teats are washed by the milker. I may state that every facility was afforded me by Mr and Mrs Adams to' thoroughly examine their place and plant. The only thing that i had reason to find fault with was the yard in which the cows are milked (which they both admitted). At a small cost of about £1 this will be speedily rectified. I was shown the cows in the paddock. They are a clean, healthy-looking lot, and appear to be well-CM-ed for. I wish, dear sir, to assure you that in my opinion every prevention has been made to keep the milk pure." " P. S.— Since writing the above, the young woman has been taken to the hospital. The room in which she slept has been thoroughly disinfected and all the bedding burned. There is also a good well of water on the premises for the use of the cows."

The Mayor said there appeared to be nothing calling for any action of the Council on the matter. The Council had power to inspect any dauies outside the borough and to act upon the reports they received. The sale of milk could only be prohibited by a medical man, properly appointed health officer. Dr. Pollen had been health officer, and no one had been appointed in his stead, but steps would be taken to have a gentleman appointed. The report on Mr Adams' dairy was satisfactory. Cr Hepburn said a good deal more was made oixt of dairies than was necessary, for a number of cases of fever from Ormond came from places where the people kept cows of their own.

Under date of Feb. 10th, the Inspector reported : — " By your order I have inspected all the dairies outside the borough which send milk into town. "Mr Farmer.— He only makes butter for his own uce. The dairy is perfectly clean, as also all utensils. Surplus milk goes to factory. "Mr Baty.— Clean shed where cows are milked, has wooden floor, good well, surplus milk goes to factory ; no dairy. " Mr McFarlane.— Clean, with good well, shed wooden floor, surplus milk goes to factory ; no dairy. "Mr Wall. — Shed where cow 3 milked wooden floor ; all milk goes to factory. "Mr S. Liddle. — No dairy, cows milked in the open, a spring constantly flowing ; surplus milk to feed calves. "Mr Bell.— No dairy, spring from side of hill constantly flowing ; surplus milk to feed calves. " Mr Willoughby. — Wooden floor for shed whore cows are milked, two wells, surplus milk to feed calves ; no dairy.

" Mr Goldie.— Dairy clean, clay floor— nhed where cows are milked has wooden floor, running stream through paddock. "Mr Mazengarb. — Shed where cows are milked on hill, clay floor, running stream through paddock ; no dairy. "In each of the above cases the milk is never taken into the house. As it is taken from the cow it is strained and put into what they term the town cans, and surplus milk goes' to feed the cah-es. " Waikanae— Mr Allen -dairy clean, shed for cowß, wooden floo;-. This stands on the edge of a lagoon. To drain the refuse from tiie shed and stock-yard a drain lias been cut into the lagoon. From the lagoon the cows drink. A pit closet is also on the edge of the lasroon, also a place where they keep pigs. All the refuse matter runs into the lagoon. Sufficient milk is used to make butter and supply the town customers. The surplus goes to the factory. — I have the honor to be, your most obedient servant, Thomas Faram, Inspector of Nuisances." Cr Akroyd said that as far as the danger •went he did not think that the report touched on that, for the principal thing was the cleanliness of the town cans. Typhoid was carried by milk more than anything else, and there was a deal of typhoid about. It was all very well for an inspector to go round after a fuss had been made about it, and the dairymen were prepared for him. They wanted an inspector to go round haphazard, and drop down on these dairies, and on the utensils. In one case of a dairy from which milk was supplied to the town, the vanl in which the cows were milked was next to a pigsty, and on the other side of the fence was a ditch, draining water from this pigsty. He had seen the cattle drinking this ditch water. He was quite satisfied that such a state of affairs would not be allowed in England. Milk from such places would promptly be rejected. Cr Joyce suggested that the report be referred to a medical gentleman. The Mayor said that none of the dairymen were aware that Mr Faram was going to visit them. Cr Whinray : You don't want a qualified medical man to inspect dairies. They know as little about them as a child going to school. Cr Harding : You want them before you can act. Cr Akroyd said a man with ordinary common sense could not tell whether there was deleterious matter in the water. Cr Whinray said it didn't want a medical man to see where there was dirty stagnant water. It wanted a man with ordinary common sense. The Mayor said that the Act provided that it must be a medical gentleman. He thought that the reports might do some good ii drawing the attention of the owners to the matter. Cr Akroyd : I know of one case mentioned in that list where the water drawn out for the cattle is within the space of this room from a water closet. I have seen water drawn out of the well, and I have seen cattle drinking of it. The Inspector : I wish you would lnention the name. Cr Akroyd said it was an ordinary closet with a hole. The Mayor said they would probably refer to the matter later on, when they could ait as a Public Health Board. Subsequently the members of the Council met as a Public Health Board, when it was resolved that the Government be requested to gazette a public health officer, Dr. Lines being recommended to the position.

Nearly three und a-quarter inillioii carcases of frozen mutton were landed in England this year from New Zealand, River Plate, and Australia. Of this prodiguoua quantity our colony is responsible for 1,896,706, the Plate contributing over J, 000,000, and Australia only 334,000,