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
Finsbury 1903
Report on the public health of 1903
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100
conveyed in these vessels from the shops to the consumer's home,
where they may remain indefinitely before being returned to the
shop.† It is satisfactory to learn that it is the custom of the 52
milk-vendors using these house-cans to have them thoroughly
cleansed after each use in hot water and soda..
| Sanitary Defects. | No. of Milk-shops. |
|---|---|
| Dust-box accommodation defective | 20 |
| Dust-box altogether absent | 15 |
| Yard paving absent or defective | 10 |
| Yard extremely dirty or refuse accumulated | 23 |
| Water-closet defective | 32 |
| Whole drainage defective | 3 |
| Water cistern defective | 4 |
| Foul water cistern | 25 |
| Dirty premises throughout | 36 |
As a rule, the most defective premises were those used for general
purposes and where a few pints or quarts of milk were sold. In
some cases, however, sanitary defects were met with at dairies
carrying on a large business.
Milk Trade in Finsbury.—A little more than one half
(about 60 per cent.) of the milk trade done in the Borough is in the
hands of the 39 dairies, and the remainder (about 40 per cent.) is in
† In 1902 on visiting a fatal case of confluent small-pox in Valetta Street, I
found eight of these milk house-cans on a small table by the patient's bed. He
had used them as drinking cups.