12 



The mussels, however, accumulating in large numbers on 

 these walls, form a fine natural binding material, and are 

 regarded vary favourably by engineers in charge of this 

 work. 



Observations on the above Report. 

 By Professor J . Johnstone, D.Sc. 



It is not any easier to give practical interpretation to the 

 above report than to any others made on the local shellfish 

 layings. So far as I know, nothing has happened lately that 

 tends to cast strong suspicions on the mvissels taken from the 

 Ribble Training Walls, and in the absence of such strong 

 suspicions the bacteriological evidence produced does not 

 seem to me to justify any restrictive measures. It must be 

 noted that some degree of bacterial pollution must be expected 

 in all the mussels taken from such a foreshore as that of 

 Lancashire. Considering everything, it may be safely con- 

 cluded that some degree of pollution may reasonably be 

 neglected. What then are we to understand by '" some.'' 

 There has been no official ruling or utterance on this point, 

 either by the Public Health or the Fisheries Central Authori- 

 ties, and until this has been made it is unsafe to base any 

 recommendations as to restrictive action on bacteriological 

 evidence alone. 



This caution is all the more necessary since we know that 

 mussels may be exposed to notable contamination after they 

 have been " removed from the fishery '" and are being handled 

 on their way to the consumer ; evidence that this may be the 

 case was produced at a public enquiry into the contamination 

 of mussels from the localities mentioned in this rep(jrt. The 

 case for action (if any) ought rather to rest on the topographical 

 and epidemiological evidence — that has been the general 

 opinion — so far as there has been any general agreement on 

 the matter. 



