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93
during the year and submitted to the Lister Institute of Preventive
Medicine for bacteriological examination. There are no cowsheds
or cows in Hampstead, consequently the whole of the milk sampled
came into the borough from outside. 14 samples were taken on
arrival at railway stations in Hampstead, 6 on delivery at three
important hospitals, 2 on arrival at dairies, and 3 from the barrows
of milk vendors. Of the 25 samples taken, 4 or 16 per cent. were
found to contain virulent tubercle bacilli. One of the tuberculous
samples was taken from a churn which was delivered to one of the
Hampstead hospitals, and another was from the supply of a firm of
repute, which in its numerous advertisements claims to observe
strict precautions against contamination.
When I received the report on the first sample of milk that
contained tubercle bacilli, the London County Council (General
Powers) Act, 1907, was not in force, and no London Authority could
take any legal action to stop the supply of this milk. But I at once
communicated with the Medical Officer of Health of the district in
Oxfordshire from which the milk came. The reports relating to
the other three tuberculous samples reached me after the Act
had become law, and I at once communicated the facts to the
Medical Officer of Health of the County of London, who is empowered
by the Act to take certain steps to prevent tuberculous
milk from entering the County.
In view of the results obtained by the examination of the 25
samples taken last year, the Public Health Committee decided to
take an additional 50 samples in the present year. These are now
being taken, and so far the percentage of tuberculous samples is
much the same as in the samples taken last year.
Ice Cream.
The sale of ice cream in London is controlled by sections 42
and 43 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1902,
which provides as follows :—
Any person being a manufacturer of or merchant or dealer in
ice creams or other similar commodity who within the County—
(a) Causes or permits ice creams or any similar commodity
to be manufactured sold or stored in any cellar shed or room in
which there is any inlet or opening to a drain or which is used
as a living room or sleeping room ;