42 THOMPSON YATES LABORATORIES REPORT 
These children had not attended, nor had they even entered, the Knotty Ash school. 
Instructions were issued to the Sanitary Inspectors to visit every ice-cream establishment 
within the municipality of Liverpool, to ascertain whether or no any person in connection with 
them had been to the Knotty Ash fair, and if any sickness existed at their houses about 
that time. 
The result of this investigation brought to light the fact that a certain Italian vendor of 
ice-cream and chip potatoes had been at the fair, and had his wife sick in the house at the time : 
which sickness proved to be typhoid fever. It was the second case in the house, the first having 
been notified and removed to hospital on August iith. 
That, therefore, was as far as we could get : no bacteriological examination of the ice-cream 
supposed to be the cause of the outbreak being possible at this distance of time. I think, however, 
you will agree with me that the chain of evidence was as complete as it was possible to be. The 
premises of the Italian were kept in a dirty state, and knowing the habits of these people, we can 
easily imagine how the ice-cream became infected. 
Professor Boyce, the Corporation Bacteriologist, examined a sample of ice-cream from the 
shop of this Italian, and his report on it, as on many other specimens afterwards taken in various 
parts of the town was, ' teeming with bacteria. Infinitely worse than ordinary milk which has 
stood for some time.' Professor Boyce adds : ' Some of the colonies grown on agar closely 
resemble forms which I have obtained from samples of sewage.' 
In due course Dr. Hope reported to the Health Committee that ' the conditions of this 
Italian's premises may be taken as typical of the conditions existing in many places where ice- 
cream is made for hawking in the streets. Powers for the registration and supervision of such 
places are urgently needed. In the meantime, inasmuch as milk is an ingredient in the 
manufacture, the places where ice-cream is made will be dealt with in exactly the same manner as 
places where milk is sold.' 
An omnibus bill for Liverpool was about to be laid before Parliament, and in it powers for 
licensing the persons selling, and registering the premises used for the manufacture, storage, and sale of 
ice-cream and similar commodities were asked for. 
For some reason the House of Commons Committee did not seem to view these 
proposals with favour. Many objections were raised, but in the end the clause approved of by 
the Committee and passed by Parliament was as follows : — 
'32. — (i) Any person being a manufacturer of or merchant or dealer in ice-creams or 
other similar commodity who within the City — 
{a) Causes or permits ice-creams or any similar commodity to be manufactured sold or 
stored in any cellar or room in which there is an inlet or opening to the drain ; or 
[h) In the manufacture sale or storage of any such commodity does any act or thing 
likely to expose such commodity to infection or contamination or omits to take 
any proper precaution for the due protection of such commodity from infection or 
contamination ; or 
