HC Deb 31 March 1881 vol 260 cc364-5
MR. O'SHAUGHNESSY

asked the President of the Board of Trade, If his attention has been called to the fact that an outbreak of cholera which has occurred in the town of Chicago has been attributed by physicians of that town to the use of butterine, into the composition of which lard enters largely, and to the statement made by these physicians that the process of making butterine does not require so high a temperature as to kill the germ of disease in lard; and, whether the Government will consider the advisability of taking measures of precaution, by inspection of butterine and other similar commodities imported into this Country, to prevent the dissemination of disease by their use?

MR. CHAMBERLAIN,

in reply, said, he did not know the names of the phy- sicians referred to, and had no means of ascertaining whether they were men of any authority. Many opinions adverse to those described might be given. As regards the last Question, he had no evidence whatever that was trustworthy to show that any disease had been disseminated by butterine or any similar commodities.