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
London County Council 1914
Annual report of the Council, 1914 Vol. III public health...
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47
Report of the County Medical Officer—General.
derived from churns containing milk from more than one farm. The last annual report gave a
similar account of 2,779 samples of milk examined during the year 1913, of which 277, or 9.9 per
cent., were found to be tuberculous.
Farms
inspected in
English
counties.
The following table shows the number of farms visited, the number of cows inspected and the results of the inspections:—
| County. | No. of farms inspected. | No. of cows inspected. | Result of inspection. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedfordshire | 2 | 54 | |
| Berkshire | 15 | 454 | 7 cows slaughtered under Tuberculosis Orders; 1 cow unhealthy. |
| Buckinghamshire | 5 | 191 | — |
| Cambridgeshire | 1 | 25 | — |
| Cheshire | 2 | 145 | — |
| Derbyshire | 51 | 1,370 | 9 cows slaughtered; 3 cows tuberculosis of lungs ; 1 cow |
| indurated udder; 3 cows unhealthy.. | |||
| Devonshire | 1 | 15 | 1 cow generalised tuberculosis. |
| Dorsetshire | 3 | 95 | — |
| Essex | 9 | 372 | 2 cows slaughtered under Tuberculosis Orders; 1 cow generalised tuberculosis ; 1 cow suspected tuberculosis of lungs. |
| Gloucestershire | 2 | 106 | 1 cow slaughtered under Tuberculosis Orders. |
| Hampshire | 13 | 570 | 1 cow tuberculosis with emaciation ; 2 cows with generalisec tuberculosis ; 1 cow indurated udder. |
| Herefordshire | 1 | 18 | — |
| Hertfordshire | 10 | 371 | 1 cow slaughtered under Tuberculosis Orders; 1 cow indurated udder ; 2 cows unhealthy. |
| Kent | 2 | 67 | 2 cows indurated udder. |
| Leicestershire | 25 | 495 | 1 cow slaughtered ; 1 cow generalised tuberculosis ; 1 cow indurated udder. |
| Northamptonshire | 12 | 541 | 1 cow with suspected tuberculosis of udder. |
| Nottinghamshire | 1 | 20 | |
| Oxfordshire | 2 | 77 | - . i |
| Shropshire | 2 | 52 | 1 cow tuberculosis with emaciation. |
| Somersetshire | 47 | 964 | 1 cow with generalised tuberculosis. |
| ♦Staffordshire | 41 | 1,173 | 1 cow slaughtered ; 1 cow tuberculosis with emaciation 4 cows general tuberculosis ; 1 cow suspected tuberculosis of lung; 4 cows' udders deemed to be tuberculous 3 cows with indurated udders ; 2 cows unhealthy. |
| ♦Sussex | 13 | 462 | 3 cows slaughtered under Tuberculosis Orders ; 2 cows generalised tuberculosis ; 1 cow indurated udder. |
| Warwickshire | 2 | 66 | - |
| Wiltshire | 92 | 2,406 | 3 cows slaughtered under Tuberculosis Orders; 1 cow generalised tuberculosis ; 3 cows indurated udders. |
| Total | 354 | 10,109 | 76 cows with disease or unhealthy conditions. |
In 34 cases the infected milk could not be detected owing to the names of the farmers not being
on the churns ; in 76 cases it was found that cows had been slaughtered, and in one instance had died,
in the interval between the taking of the milk sample at the London terminus and the date of the visit
to the farm concerned.
During the time the Tuberculosis Orders of 1913 and 1914 were in operation it was the practice
to notify the county council concerned of all cases presenting symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis in
one of the forms specified under the Order, although the clinical signs were insufficient to enable the
Council's veterinary inspector definitely to certify the cases. In several instances this action has led
to the slaughter of animals suspected of giving tuberculous milk. Owing to the suspension of these
orders in consequence of the war the Council has been limited to the exercise of its powers under the
General Powers Act of 1907. As a result of the visits made to farms, 28 cows were slaughtered under
the Tuberculosis Orders in the first two quarters of the year and 36 were slaughtered voluntarily by
the owners in the last two quarters of the year.
For some years the question of further legislation in connection with the control of the milk
supply has engaged the attention of Parliament, and on 10th August, 1914, the Roval Assent was given
to an Act known as the Milk and Dairies Act, 1914, but its effect on the existing powers of the Council
will be largely dependent upon orders to be issued by the Local Government Board under section 2 of
the Act. Owing, however, to the war the operation of the Act has been suspended and no orders have
yet. been issued by the Local Government Board.
* In the cases indicated by an asterisk some of the infected milk from farms in these counties was
dispatched from a station in an adjoining county.