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The cows in the London cowsheds have, since the date of the Dairies Order of 1899, been periodically
inspected by the County Council's veterinary inspector, with a view to the detection of cows
suffering from tubercular disease of the udder. During the year 1908 there were five inspections of
all the cows in the London cowsheds, and the results of the veterinary inspector's examination are
shown in the following table:—

The 16 cows suffering from tubercular disease of the udder were slaughtered, and the carcases
destroyed, compensation being paid by the Council to the owners in accordance with the provisions
of the London County Council (General Powers) Act of 1904.
London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1907.—Part IV.
Milk Supply (Tuberculosis).
Part IV. of the Act of 1907 empowers the County Medical Officer of Health or other duly
authorised person to take, within and without the County, samples of milk produced or sold or intended
for sale within the County; and, in company with a veterinary surgeon, to enter any dairy
from which milk is being sold or suffered to be sold or used within the County, and to inspect the
cows kept therein, and if the Medical Officer or such authorised person has reason to suspect that any
cow is suffering from tuberculosis of the udder he may take samples of the milk of such cow. If it
appears to the Council that tuberculosis is caused, or is likely to be caused, to persons residing in the
County from the consumption of milk from any dairy, or from any cow kept therein, the Council may
make an order prohibiting the supply of such milk in the County until the order has been withdrawn,
and any person contravening the order is liable to a penalty not exceeding £5, and for a
continuing offence to a daily penalty not exceeding 40s. Appeal may be made against the Council's
order.
On 11th February, 1908, the Council delegated to the Public Health Committee, the authority
conferred by Part IV. of this Act, dealing with tuberculous milk and fixed the 1st July, 1908,
as the date upon which the Act should become operative* The provisions of this, part of the Act
were consequently in force during six months of the year 1908. During the period under review,
the method of procedure adopted was as follows: Samples were taken by the Council's inspectors from
churns of milk consigned from the country to the various London railway termini, and submitted to
the Lister Institute for bacteriological examination. In the case of those samples in respect to which
the examination proved that there was evidence of the presence of tubercle bacilli, a clinical examination
of the cows at the dairy farm from which the milk had been consigned was made by a
veterinary inspector, appointed for the purpose under the Act. During the period under review 620
samples of milk were taken. The milk had been sent to London from the following counties:
Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Dorsetshire, Essex,
Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Leicestershire, Norfolk,
Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Rutlandshire, Somersetshire, Staffordshire, Surrey, Sussex, Suffolk,
Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire, and the samples were taken principally from churns at
stations of the Great Western, the Great Eastern, the Great Northern, the Great Central, the Midland,
the Metropolitan and the London and North Western and South Western Railway Companies.