Day 077 - 25 Jan 95 - Page 46
1 Q. Did they require some kind of independent assessment or
2 certification?
3 A. No, but we were subject to veterinary inspection by the
4 United States Air Force. They have a veterinary
5 department.
6
7 Q. Can we go back to the life of a germ, if we may? What are
8 the conditions in which these four (and they may be
9 different, so if they are, please tell us) micro organisms
10 will thrive and proliferate, the physical conditions; can
11 you tell us that, please?
12 A. Moisture and a temperature either of 98.4 or 37 degrees
13 C.
14
15 Q. 97.4 is the Fahrenheit?
16 A. Yes.
17
18 Q. That is current blood temperature, is it not?
19 A. Yes.
20
21 Q. Will they go on being relatively prosperous down a
22 temperature gradient to a certain level?
23 A. No, the colder it gets, the more restrictive -----
24
25 Q. They can still survive at may be -- "survive" is not the
26 word they want -- they can still live happily, if you see
27 what I mean, at may be 20 degrees Centigrade?
28 A. Yes, they can live but they will not multiply.
29
30 Q. Where is the critical temperature where they stop
31 multiplying?
32 A. Less than 10.
33
34 Q. Less than 10. You say that it also helps them if they have
35 moisture?
36 A. Yes.
37
38 Q. Within McKey's plant at Milton Keynes or at Scunthorpe, at
39 what, if any, stage of your operation do conditions exist
40 in which these organisms may proliferate?
41 A. None whatsoever.
42
43 Q. You mean there is no stage of the operation which is either
44 sufficiently moist or sufficiently warm for this to occur?
45 A. Correct; it is a matter of temperature.
46
47 Q. Have you read the report of Mr. Richard North, the recent
48 report, which was made for the Defendants in this case?
49 A. I have.
50
51 Q. I do not know where Mr. North's report is to be found.
52
53 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I still have it; in fact, I read it during
54 the mid-day adjournment. Mr. Rampton, I do not know how
55 scientific one is going to have to become on this --
56 possibly not at all -- but I would like to know what the
57 importance of number of organisms per gramme is. I mean,
58 is one organism enough to infect you, or do you need
59 several hundred thousand, or is it just out of several
60 hundred thousand there is more chance of you picking up one
