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29
TUBERCULOSIS IN MILK.
Early in February, 1899, the Hackney Vestry received a letter from
the Vestry of Westminster stating that they were advised that the
danger of the spread of tuberculosis through the medium of milk and
cream is a very real one, especially in the case of young children,
and asking the Hackney Vestry to support their application to the
Local Government Board to promote legislation during the ensuing
Session of Parliament for preventing the sale of milk and cream, both
foreign and English, so contaminated, and for the regulation of dairies
and the inspection of cows.
The Public Health Committee to whom this letter was referred,
after consideration reported to the Vestry that before deciding to
support the action of the Westminster Vestry it would be advisable
to ascertain whether the milk supply to Hackney was affected and to
what extent by the bacillus of tubercle, and recommended that 100
samples of milk be obtained and submitted to the Jenner Institute for
this purpose. This report was adopted by the Vestry. The samples
were in due course obtained and examined by Dr. A. Macfadyen,
of the Jenner Institute, who reported on them as follows:—
Jenner Institute of Preventive Medicine,
Chelsea Gardens, Grosvenor Road, London, S.W.
August 3rd, 1899.
Retort upon 100 Samplet of Milk from Hackney District, examined for the presence of
tubercle bacilli.
To Dr. J. Kino Warry, Medical Officer of Health, Hackney Vestry.
Sir,—I beg to submit the following Report upon the Samples of Milk
forwarded by you to the Jenner Institute for examination as to the presence
of tubercle bacilli.
The Samples of Milk (100 in number) were received at intervals from
9th March to 30th May, 1899. The fresh samples were examined immediately
on their arrival. The milk was centrifugalised for 30 minutes, the cream was
then stirred from the top, and the whole centrifugalised for a further period
of 30 minutes. In this way the bacteria present in the milk were sedimented.