London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Coulsdon and Purley 1945
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]
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The number of premises used by outworkers in 1945 was 43.
All these premises have been inspected regularly and such defects
as have been found have been dealt with satisfactorily.
INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD.
Milk.
The following table gives the position with regard to the examination of milk during the war years:—
| 1939. | 1940. | 1941 | 1942. | 1943. | 1944. | 1945. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bacteriological: | |||||||
| Total count of all bacteria: | |||||||
| Under 30,000 per ml. | 56 | 36 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 32 | 52 |
| 30,000 to 200,000 per ml. | 17 | 23 | 20 | 24 | 14 | 13 | 30 |
| 300,000 to 400,000 do. | 5 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 9 |
| Over 400,000 per ml. | 1 | 4 | 6 | 18 | 12 | 3 | — |
| Coliform Bacillus : | |||||||
| Absent in 1 ml | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | — |
| do. .1 ml. | 41 | 28 | 26 | 5 | — | — | — |
| do .01 ml. | 16 | 13 | 12 | 20 | 39 | 35 | — |
| do. .001 ml. | 18 | 14 | 10 | 45 | 18 | 19 | — |
| do. .00001 ml. | 4 | 11 | 14 | — | — | — | — |
| do. .0000001 ml | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Biological Test for Tubercle Bacilli | |||||||
| Negative | 11 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
| Positive | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Methylene Blue Test of Keeping : | |||||||
| Satisfactory | — | — | — | 23 | 10 | 29 | 68 |
| Unsatisfactory | — | — | — | 13 | 16 | 2 | 13 |
| Phosphatase Test of Pasteurisation : | |||||||
| Below 2.3 Lovibond Blue Units | 6 | 16 | 22 | 30 | 26 | 28 | 45 |
| Above 2.3 ditto | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | —' | 2 - | 9 |
The chief purpose of these examinations is to keep the work of the
producers and distributors under observation, drawing their attention
to any tendencies to deterioration in quality, advising methods of
improvement, and, if necessary, taking steps to restrict their supply.
The results of the biological tests were almost uniformly satisfactory,
while on the whole the standard of pasteurisation improved, although
the producers have often worked against great difficulties—changes in
staff, deterioration in plant with difficulty in replacing parts, the blackout
and enemy air attack, being among their handicaps.
Unfortunately changes in some of the tests or method of reporting
make it impossible to compare results from year to year, while the proportion
taken from sources which are most suspect is apt to vary, e.g.,
after the installation of a new plant a relatively large number of samples
may be taken during the period of adjustment.
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