Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Annual report of Medical Officer of Health for 1909
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32
CONTAMINATED MILK.
The enquiry into the character of the milk arriving in London consigned
to traders in the City, which was commenced in 1902 and repeated during the
years 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907 and 1908, was continued during March and
April, 1909.
In 1909, 32 samples were bacteriologically examined with the following result:—
Character of Milk. | No. of Samples. | Percentage. |
---|---|---|
Fairly clean and pure | 14 | 43.7 |
Unclean | 14 | 43.8 |
Tuberculous | 4 | 12.5 |
32 | 100.0 |
The 12.5 per cent. was the largest proportion of tubercle infected milk
found in the City since the commencement of the enquiry.
The 32 samples came from the following counties:—Suffolk 11, Essex 8,
Cambridge 6, Norfolk 4, and one each from Buckingham, Herts and Bedford.
As the result of enquiries as to the health of the cows at the four farms
from which the tubercular samples were consigned it was found in three of
them that the herds supplying the milk contained cows suffering either from
tuberculosis of the udder, generalised tuberculosis or pulmonary tuberculosis.
In each case the co-operation of the Medical Officer of Health of the
district in which the farm was situated was readily afforded. No difficulties
were placed in the way of the enquiry by the farmers concerned, who at once
stopped the sale of milk from the affected animals.
The results of the examination of the several series for the five years 1904-9 were as under:—
Character of Milk. | 1904. per cent. | 1905. per cent. | 1906. per cent. | 1907-8. per cent. | 1909. per cent. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fairly clean and pure | 48.7 | 68.2 | 80 | 54.2 | 43.7 |
Unclean | 43.6 | 22.7 | 12 | 37.5 | 43.8 |
Tuberculous | 7-7 | 9.1 | 8 | 8.3 | 12.5 |
During November and December, 1909, a further series of milk samples
was collected on arrival of milk churns at Liverpool Street Railway Station
and submitted to Dr. Klein for bacteriological examination.