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51
Statistics relating to notified diseases in London Sanitary Districts as constituted
by the London Government Act, 1899.
At the end of this report (Appendix I.) will be found tables showing the case rates of smallpox,
scarlet fever, diphtheria, typhus, enteric fever, other continued fevers, puerperal fever and erysipelas
in London sanitary districts as constituted by the London Government Act, 1899, for each of the nine
years 1891-99 inclusive. These tables will furnish useful material for comparing the incidence of
notifiable disease on the new areas, when the London Government Act comes into operation with that
of previous years.
Meteorology.
The tables published in the annual summary of the Registrar-General, prepared by Mr. J.
Glaisher, F.R.S., from observations at Greenwich, show that the mean temperature of the air in
1899 was 50'6 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1.9 degrees above the average of the 128 years 1771-1898.
The rainfall during the year amounted to 22.34 inches, and was 2.50 inches below the mean of 84
years.

PART II.
Dairies, Cowsheds, and Milkshops.
During 1899 the Council's inspectors made 23,999 inspections of dairies, cowsheds, and milkshops.
In 55 instances legal proceedings were instituted under the dairies, cowsheds, and milkshops
orders, and penalties amounting to £93 12s. 6d., with £14 10s. costs, were imposed by the magistrates.
In 256 instances, cases of infectious disease occurred at registered milkshop premises, the number of
cases of each disease being 111 of scarlet fever, 86 of diphtheria, 39 of enteric fever, 9 of erysipelas,
3 of continued fever, 2 of membranous croup, and 6 of measles. In each of these cases the inspectors
visited the premises with a view to ensuring the adoption of measures to prevent contamination of
the milk. The number of applications for renewal of existing licences to cowsheds was 338, of which
330 were granted. The number of applications for registration of dairies and milkshops received
during the year was 1,971, of which 464 were in respect of premises not previously on the regibter.
One of the recommendations of the last Royal Commission on Tuberculosis was that in future
no cowshed, other than those already registered, should be permitted or registered in urban districts
within 100 feet of any dwelling-house. In October, 1899, the Public Health Committee reported to
the Council that they had resolved to observe this recommendation, and had caused a circular letter to
that effect to be sent to all London cowkeepers.
Tubercular disease of the udder of the cow.
On the 21st March, 1899, the Public Health Committee reported to the Council that the Local
Government Board had issued an order amending article 15 of the Dairies, Cowsheds, and Milkshops
Order of 1885 by providing that for the purposes of paragraphs (a) and (b) of that article, reference
to disease shall include, in the case of a cow, such disease of the udder as shall be certified by a
veterinary surgeon to be tubercular. The article in question, so far as affected by the new Order, is
as follows—
15.—If at any time disease exists among the cattle in a dairy or cowshed or other building or place,
the milk of a diseased cow therein—
(a) Shall not be mixed with other milk; and
(b) Shall not be sold or used for human food.