London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
This page requires JavaScript
61
In addition to the above, 47 samples of milk supplied to schools and general,
special and mental hospitals were examined bacteriologically at the bacteriological
laboratory at the County Hall. The results obtained are shown in the tables set out
below.
The milk supplied to schools (other than open-air schools) and mental hospitals
is not purchased under any of the standards specified in the Milk (Special Designations)
Order, 1923, and a standard was adopted for what would be regarded as
ordinary clean milk. The standard was: bacterial content, not more than 300,000
per c.c., and B. coli not to be present in 1/1,000 c.c. If below this standard, the chief
officer of supplies was informed that the milk could not be regarded as satisfactory.
The contracts for the supply of milk to general and special hospitals and open-air
schools provide for the supply of pasteurised milk, which is required under the provisions
of the Milk (Special Designations) Order, 1923, to conform to the following
standard: the milk must not contain more than 100,000 organisms per c.c.
As in the case of raw milk for school supplies, the requirement as to the absence
of B. coli in 1/1,000 c.c. was adopted.
The results of bacteriological examinations were as follows:—
Raw Milk.
| Conforming to standard | 16 | |
| Not conforming to standard | ||
| 4 | ||
| Bacterial count exceeding 300,000 per c.c., but conforming to B. coli standard | 1 | |
| Bacterial count exceeding 300,000 per c.c., together with excess of B. coli | 3 | |
| 8 | ||
| Samples examined | 24 | |
| Conforming to standard | 1 | |
| Not conforming to standard— | ||
| Bacterial count exceeding 300,000 per c.c. but conforming to B. coli standard | 1 | |
| Samples examined | 2 | |
| Conforming to standard | 17 | |
| Not conforming to standard— | ||
| 3 | ||
| Bacterial count exceeding 100,000 per c.c. but conforming to B. coli standard | 2 | |
| Bacterial count exceeding 100,000 per c.c., together with excess of B. coli | 2 | |
| 7 | ||
| Samples examined | 24 | |
In all these cases of defective supplies the attention of the chief officer of supplies
was called to the matter, and in the more serious cases the medical officer of health
of the district was also informed.
The arrangement made for the co-operation of the medical officers of health in
regard to the examinations of milk supplied to Council's institutions and schools
in the county and in certain areas outside the county has been continued during
the year with very satisfactory results.
Under this arrangement it has been possible to reduce the number of samples
examined at the central laboratory from 1,784 in 1931 to 312 in 1933. Some of the
boroughs have been unable to undertake the bacteriological work, and it has not
been possible to arrange a scheme of co-operation with the local medical officer of
health in respect of certain of the out-county institutions.