§ MR. CHARLEYasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether his attention has been called to the recent fatal outbreak of typhoid fever at Eagley, near Bolton, in Lancashire, which is attributed by the Medical Officer of Health to the pollution of milk by water filled with sewage, used for washing the milk cans; and, whether, in view of the numerous and fatal outbreaks of a similar kind in Islington, Marylebone, Glasgow, Jarrow, and other places, which have been, after due investigation, attributed to a similar pollution of the milk supply, he will consider the expediency of introducing a measure for the protection of health by special sanitary supervision of dairy farms, and of the premises in which milk is stored prior to sale by urban milk vendors?
§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTHImmediately, Sir, after hearing of the lamentable outbreak of fever at Eagley, I directed that communications should be addressed to the sanitary authorities of that place and of Bolton, from whom I have received all the information at present 553 available on the subject, and which is, I am sorry to say, of a deplorable character. Although there has been no inquiry of a definitive or exhaustive character, two somewhat contradictory facts seem to come out—first, that the milk, although poor in quality, was not adulterated; and, secondly, that the milk-cans were undoubtedly washed with water from a highly-polluted source. I do not at present see my way to introduce a measure for the supervision of dairy farms and other such premises; but I think it quite possible that regulations might be enforced by bye-laws or otherwise for their better regulation, and the subject will have my attention.