Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-10-31

Inspection and Its Relation to
Health"
The enforcement OF food and drug
laws. Mr.. Soule continued, has def
mite and rather unique problems. 1t
is evident to thoughtful officials that
violations of the food law are due to
Il few general causes, which may be
classed under two headings; one, de-
iiberate violations, where the greed
and desire for gain of the manufac-
turer caused the intentional deceptive
labelling of the product; and two I'M
pr emeditated violations due to igno-
rance of the law or the use of impure
materials which were bought and
paid for in good faith, guaranteed as
pure and to the ignorant use and i'm
proper methods of manufacture and
handling.
For the first time there is only one
remedy-stringent enforcement of
the law even by drastic measures
or class two, constructive. educa-
tional food control work with the
dissemination of information con-
corning the requirements of the law
will do far more to insure correct la =
being than indiscriminate prosecu-
tionS.
Certain conditions that should de-
mand the attention of every interest
ed food official and health officer in
New England is the inadequate, in
sufficient desultory methods and
practices of killing and marketing
meat and meat products in interstate
commerce. and such officials can
unanimously deplore the fact that
there is no adequate statute that can
be enforced with a similarity or an
analogy to the U. S. meat inspection
control
A piece of meat may carry the
germs Of dangerous disease with
out giving any indication of this fact
to the consumer. To detect disease
there should be an expert inspection
at the time of slaughter. The Federal
government is powcrless to exercise
any supervision over an establish
ment. the meat of which is slaugh-
tered. prepared. sold and consumed
entirely within single state. 1t is
a duty which the state or municipal
ity owes to its citizens to install and
maintain n system of meat inspection
that will afford adequate protection
against diseased and unwholesome
meats, so that all meat sold locally
which has not passed the ederal in
speCtion will come under the re-
Quircments Of an efficient local in
Spection system.
The most important requirement
in meat inspection, therefore, Is to
protect the consumer against dan
gers from which he cannot protec
himself and this can be done onl.
by class of inspection that Is moi
cft N provided for by local authori
tic.
.Taine and all but two Of the state.
OF the Union have kept pace with
the Federal government in relation
to food and drug laws and sanitar!
inspections. but as to laws pertain
ing to meat inspection they are lag.
ging behind. We, should be ashame &c
to admit the truth that practically
40 per cent. of the meat and meat
products that are manufactured and
sold from the country slaughter
house have received neither an ante.
norton or post-mortem eXamina'
ton.
Part Time Health Work
In speaking on Health Work thai
Can Be Done on Part Time Ba.
sis" Leroy Spiller. local health of.
ncer OF Norway. Me-. told briefly OF
the troubles and experiences of q
health officer working on parI
time basis and who is not a physi.
clan himself. He cited one case ir