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10
Constitutional Diseases. —The 58 deaths from cancer show a fall of
11 on those for the preceding year. Rheumatism and gout caused
6 deaths; consumption 81, an increase of 27 over the preceding year,
but the other forms of tubercular diseases show a decrease of 15. The
phthisis death rate for the year 1899 is stated by the Registrar-General
to be for the Metropolis I*BB per 1000, as compared with a rate of l - 77
in each of the two years immediately preceding. After distribution,
the death rates in the Metropolitan sanitary areas range from 0"81 in
Hampstead to I*ls in Paddington, 3 - 08 in Ilolborn, 353 in St. Lukes
and St. George the Martyr, Southwark.
Tuberculosis in Milk. —A great deal of attention has been called to
the alleged infection of milk and cream with tubercle bacilli. A
bacteriological examination made of 100 samples of milk, for the
Hackney Vestry, by the Jenner Institute of Preventive Medicine,
showed that 22 per cent, of the samples were infected with tubercle
bacilli. The matter was also dealt with by the Public Health Committee
of the London County Council. The opinion was expressed by
your Vestry that steps should be taken to induce the Government to
introduce a Bill into Parliament to give effect to the recommendations
of the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis, as far as it applies to milk.
Among the conclusions arrived at by the Royal Commission
appointed to enquire into the administrative procedure for controlling
danger to man through the use of meat and milk of tuberculous animals
were as follows : —" Any person who takes tuberculous matter into tho
body incurs risk of acquiring tuberculous disease." And again, "No
doubt the largest part of the tuberculosis which man obtains through
his food is by means of milk containing tuberculous matter."
Tuberculous diseases of children, known as consumption of tho
bowels, &c, are also believed to be largely due to the introduction of
the bacillus into their systems by the medium of milk from infected
cows taken as food. This especially is the case with children under one
year of age, and due to the increasing practice of substituting cows milk
for that from the breast of the human female. Fortunately the danger
can, to a great extent, be met by sterilization of the milk at a temperature
of not less than 160 Fahrenheit for 30 or 40 minutes, or by boiling
the milk for a few minutes.