London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Camberwell 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell.
This page requires JavaScript
38
efforts to persuade the owner of the cowhouse to instal a
pasteurising plant met with no success.
Dairies and Milkshops Register.
| Cowkeepers | 1 |
| Cowsheds | 2 |
| Dairies | 33 |
| Registered purveyors of milk dealing from registered premises in the Borough | 141 |
| Registered purveyors of milk dealing from registered premises outside the Borough | 12 |
Special Designated Milk.
The following table shows details of various tests carried out in respect of special designated milk during the year :—
| Designation. | Methylene Blue Test. | Phosphatase Test. | Turbidity Test. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Satisfactory. | Unsatisfactory. | Satisfactory. | Unsatis factory. | Satisfactory. | Unsatis factory. | |
| Pasteurised | 92 | 4 | 82 | – | – | – |
| Tuberculin tested pasteurised | 12 | 2 | 8 | – | – | – |
| Sterilised | 9 | – | 5 | – | 2 | – |
| Heat treated | 1 | 1 | 6 | – | – | – |
| Accredited | 8 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
Supply of Milk to Schools and Hospitals.
During the year, 36 samples were taken from hospitals and
35 from schools in the Borough and submitted to the Phosphatase
Test. All were satisfactory. In addition, 36 samples were
taken from hospitals and 37 from schools for bacteriological
examination. Two hospital and three school samples failed
to comply with the Methylene Blue Test.
Examination of Milk for the presence of Tubercle
Bacilli.
Of the 11 samples of milk submitted for examination by
means of the animal test for the presence of tubercle bacilli,
one was found to be positive.
In this instance, the unsatisfactory sample was that of raw
milk obtained from the cowhouse in the Borough. The attention
of the County Medical Officer of Health and the Divisional
Veterinary Inspector of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
was immediately drawn to this positive result. Following
investigations by the Ministry's inspector, an affected cow was
eventually identified and slaughtered under the Tuberculosis
Order, 1938.