Sample 
Number. 
REPORT OF SAMPLES ANALYZED 
Milk — continued. 
Date 
1898. 
Tubercle 
bacilli 
+23 
Riiilw^y Stcition 
Present 
+34 
Town 
Dec. 
"i6th 
Absent 
+35 
Town 
Dec. 
1 6th 
Present 
+3° 
Dec. 
1 6th 
Present 
+37 
Town 
Dec. 
1 6th 
Present 
A 28 
43° 
Town 
Dec. 
1 6th 
Present 
441 
Town 
Dec. 
22 nd 
Absent 
442 
Town 
Dec. 
22 nd 
++3 
Town 
Dec. 
29th 
Absent 
+++ 
Town 
Dec. 
29th 
4+5 
Town 
Dec. 
29th 
Absent 
446 
Town 
Dec. 
29th 
Absent 
448 
Railway Station 
Dec. 
30th 
Absent 
4+9 
Railway „ 
Dec. 
30th 
Present 
Animal died Dec. 31st, but 
not from tubercle. 
Animal died on Jan. 29th, 
but not from tubercle. 
SHELL-FISH 
Twenty-two samples of oysters, 22 of muscles, 23 of cockles, and 10 of periwinkles were 
examined bacteriologically. It is beyond dispute that these fish may be the means of transmitting 
certain forms of disease, notably typhoid fever. The most careful attention was given in 
investigating the micro-organisms which the samples were found to contain, special importance 
being attached to those groups of organisms which might be taken to indicate sewage 
contamination. Although the typhoid bacillus was not isolated in any of the samples, the bacillus 
coli, which is commonly associated with sewage contamination, was isolated in 15 per cent, of the 
samples ; and in the cases in which special search was made for the bacillus enteriditis sporogenes 
this bacillus was found. The full details of the methods employed are set forth in the Reports 
already published by Professor Boyce and Professor Herdman to the British Association, 
1895-6-7-8. In the same Report will be found the reasons which led up to the following 
recommendations, which were made by those gentlemen, as to the means to prevent oyster 
beds, &c., from being contaminated with sewage : — 
(a) That the necessary steps should be taken to induce the oyster trade to remove any 
possible suspicion of sewage contamination from the beds and layings from which oysters 
are supplied to the market. This could obviously be effected in one of two ways — either 
(i) by restrictive legislation and the licensing of beds only after due inspection by the 
officials of a government department ; or (2) by the formation of an association amongst the 
oyster-growers and dealers themselves, which should provide for the due periodic examination 
of the grounds, stores, and stock by independent properly qualified inspectors. Scientific 
assistance and advice given by such independent inspectors would go far to improve the 
