CO129-378 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1911 [6-7] — Page 317

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Encs.

Hongkong 24th April 1911

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The Honourable Mr. C. Clementi

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sir,

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Colonial Secretary

&c.

80.

800.

We have been consulted by Messrs W. G. Humphreys & Co, and

by Messrs Blackhead & Co, with reference to the report, which appeared in the China Mail of the 14th March last, of the proceedings of the Sanitary Board, and the minutes made by the several members of that board with regard to condensed skimmed

milk.

Dr. Francis Clark on that occasion stated it to be his

opinion that condensed skimmed milk was not suitable food for

infants, and intimated that the mortality amongst Chinese

infant children might possibly be due, to some extent, to the

use of such food by Chinese parents for their infants; and he

strongly advocated that it should be rendered, by legislation,

an offence to sell tins of condensed skimmed milk unless the

words "not suitable for infants" were placed on such tins, in

Chinese characters.

In view of the fact that such legislation as was suggested

by Dr. Clark may be in contemplation, we are instructed, and

have the honour, to lay before you, for the consideration of

H. E. the Governor, the following contentions and facts:-

Section 11 of the Sale of Food and Drug Act 1899 (62 and

63 Vict. c 51) obviously recognises the fact that condensed

'skimmed' milk is a wholesome article of food. The object of

requiring tins of it to be labelled in a special way. "Machine

Skimmed Milk" or "Skimmed Milk", as the case might be, was that

it should not be passed off as condensed milk of a superior,

that is to say, a stronger, character.

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