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Inspection and Supervision of Food

Milk.
In addition to a note of the number of samples of milk taken under the Food and Drugs
Act for analysis, I have received the following report from the County Medical Officer with
regard to the action taken to safeguard the milk supply of the district:—
During the year 1935, 48 samples of milk were taken from retailers in the district.
These samples were submitted to the Lister Institute for animal inoculation tests, and in four
cases the presence of tubercle bacilli was demonstrated. In three of these cases the samples
were traced to farmers in Berkshire, and in the remaining instance to a farm in Oxfordshire.
The County Medical Officer of Berkshire subsequently informed me that after examination
of the herds at the first two farms concerned one cow from each farm was found to be
suffering from tuberculosis and was slaughtered. The results of the examination in the third
case have not yet come to hand. With regard to the sample traced to the County of Oxfordshire,
I was informed by the County Medical Officer that five cows, suffering from
tuberculosis were discovered and dealt with under the Tuberculosis Order.
One cow was reported by its owner as showing symptoms suspicious of tuberculosis
and was examined by one of the County Council's veterinary surgeons. The veterinary
surgeon reported that the illness was found to be due to a chill and that the animal had
recovered at the time of his examination.
Routine examination of milch cattle was carried out during the year by Dr. Wooff,
M.R.C.V.S., the County Council's whole time veterinary inspector and 526 inspections of
cows were made. Two cows were found to be suffering from tuberculosis and were
slaughtered.
943 inspections were carried out in respect of cowsheds, dairies and milkshops.
Unofficial milk analyses are made by the Medical Officer of Health.

Meat Inspection.
1. Meat Inspection.—This is still kept at a very high pitch of efficiency. The Chief
Sanitary Inspector and the District Sanitary Inspectors hold special certificates for the meat
inspection. Slaughter-houses and butchers' shops are visited periodically.
There are now 8 slaughter-houses (4 registered and 4 licensed), in use in the district, and
each slaughter-house received on an average 10 visits per month. There were 67 butchers' shops
in the district at the end of 1935.
2. Public Abattoir.—There is no public abattoir in the district. Slaughtering may take
place at any time, subject to the requisite notice being given. In the early part of the year the
Public Health Committee considered the question of providing a public abattoir. After consideration
of information obtained from Authorities where public abattoirs are established it was
resolved that consideration of the question of the establishment of a public abattoir in this district
be adjourned sine die.
3. Action under Section 117, Public Health Act, 1875 :—No unsound meat was seized
during the year.
4. Diseased Meat.—There was none seized, but a total of 2,337 lbs. was surrendered
during the year, including 1,067 lbs. of tubercular meat.
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