Report / Department of Public Health, Tasmania.

Tasmania. Department of Public Health.

Date:: [1936]

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report / Department of Public Health, Tasmania. Source: Wellcome Collection.

19/26 (page 19)

Appendix II. Department of Public Health, Hobart, 26th April, 1937. Sir, I have the honour to submit the following report of the work performed by the inspectorial staff of the Depart¬ ment during the year 1936. Staff. The staff consists of the following officers:—Chief Inspector J. Riley, M.R.S.I.; Inspector H. H. Parker, A.R.S.I.; Inspector H. T. D’Alton, A.R.S.I.—stationed at Hobart; and Inspector D. S. Clark, /Cert. R.S.I.; and Inspector T. Orr, Cert. R.S.I.—stationed at Launceston. Sanitary Surveys and General Inspections. Each municipal .district throughout the State was visited on at least one occasion for purposes of a sanitary survey. Follow-up inspections, and special inspections as required, were also undertaken; the latter including inquiries in connection with outbreaks of infectious dis¬ ease, and the investigation of drainage problems, water- supplies, pollution of streams, places of public entertain¬ ment, installation of bacteriolytic tanks, and other prob¬ lems associated with the public health. General inspections and investigations comprised— Food premises (butchers, bakers, &c.) . 480 Bacteriolytic tanks, sites, &c. 179 Buildings, insanitary . .... . 19 Public buildings and places of public entertain¬ ment (including plans of new buildings and of alterations to existing buildings) . 319 Cemeteries and crematories . 8 Dairying premises . 218 Drainage . 105 Garbage services . .... . 91 Hospitals . 85 Infectious diseases, inquiries re . 48 Licensed premises . 220 * Offensive trades . .... . 273 Schools, sanitation of . 286 Reserves, racecourses, &c. 74 Sewage disposal .... .... . 29 Water-supplies . 47 Sanitary depots .... .... . 55 Sale-yards . 37 Picture theatres (overcrowding) .... .... . 18 Beaches, baths, &c.—pollution of . 6 Boarding and accommodation houses . 52 Hop-fields and small-fruit orchards (housing accommodation) . 187 Construction camps and quarries . 35 Fumigation by cyanide. &c. . 9 Miscellaneous . 94 Health Inspectors’ Conference. A conference and class of instruction for health inspec¬ tors was held at Launceston during the week ended the 17th October. The support accorded the conference by the various local health authorities in facilitating the attendance of their officers was much appreciated. Pollution of Domestic Water-Supplies. Various investigations were made regarding possible pollution of rivers and creeks from which domes¬ tic water-supplies were obtained. Owing to the likeli¬ hood of pollution of such supplies from workmen and others camped on the banks of streams, special inspec¬ tions had to be undertaken to enforce the regulations. In some instances it was found necessary to have such camps removed to more remote sites. It is pleasing to record that some local authorities are now adopting specific by-laws to prevent owners of sawmills from discharging sawdust into streams which are utilised for domestic water-supplies. Installation of Bacteriological Tanks. With improved supplies of water, due to a great extent to cheap electric power for pumping, a large number of bacteriological tanks is being installed in all parts of the State. These tanks must be installed in accordance with^ plans approved by the Department, the final certificate not being issued until inspection reveals that the tank has been installed to the satisfaction of the Department. Examinations, Royal Sanitary Institute. During the month of October, examinations under the auspices of the Royal Sanitary Institute were held at Hobart, to enable persons to qualify for certificates issued by the Institute. Of the eleven candidates who pre¬ sented themselves for the Sanitary Inspector’s Certifi¬ cate, the following were successful:— F. V. Bates, Public Health Department, Hobart. H. T. D’Alton, Public Health Department, Hobart. R. Wardlaw, Health Inspector, Burnie. Five candidates sat for the Certificate of Inspector of Meat and other Foods, three of whom qualified, viz.:— A. Gillam, Health Inspector, Hobart. C. W. Barren, Health Inspector, Hobart. F. Rice, Health Inspector, Queenstown. Conferences of Instruction—Mainland States. Inspector Parker was afforded facilities to attend the Health Inspectors’ Conference at Sydney in September, where he had the opportunity of hearing lectures given by scientists and other persons holding important posts in public health work. The Chief Health Inspector also visited New South Wales in December, to obtain first-hand knowledge of the modern chain method of slaughtering and inspection. Inspection of Dairies. A forward step was made during the year to improve the condition of dairies in certain parts of the State. Frequent inspections were made to enforce the by-laws, and, as a result, it can be said that a number of such dairy farms are now improved structurally, and better equipped for supplying a good and clean milk to the pub¬ lic. Food and Drugs. During the year, 205 samples of foods and drugs were taken for analytical examination. Prosecutions were instituted in ten cases (one of which was withdrawn) for selling foodstuffs not in accordance with prescribed standards, and fines and costs amounting to £19 16s. were inflicted. Following the usual practice, warnings were issued in cases where the amount of adulteration was small, or for minor breaches of the law. A complete list of the samples taken by officers is shown hereunder:— Coffee.... . 3 Coffee and chicory . 5 Cream . ... 16 Honey . .... .... 4 Sausage . .... . 8 Yeetos (yeast substitute) . 1 Bread (wholemeal) . 3 Kwic Bru .... .... . 1 Butter (factory, dairy, and substitutes).... 15 Spirits and wines . 4 Milk (fresh) . 37 Milk (condensed, &c.) . 9 Curry powder . ... . 2 Breakfast food . .... 3 Essences . .... . 5 Cocoa . 7 Meat and fish pastes . 5 Custard powders .... . 1 Cornflour . 1 Crystallised cherries . 1 Vinegar .... .... . 9 Pepper . 5 Tinned fish, oysters, and scallops . 16 Cheese . 4 Water .... . 4 Olive oil . 4 Cream of tartar . .... . 5 Miscellaneous . 27 205 Twelve hundred mutton-birds were seized owing to their being unwholesome, and therefore unfit for human consumption.