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milk containing bovine tubercle bacilli is clearly a cause of tuberculosis and
of fatal tuberculosis in man.
A very considerable amount of disease and loss of life, especially among
the young, must be attributed to the consumption of cows' milk containing
tubercle bacilli. The presence of tubercle bacilli in cows' milk can be
detected, though with some difficulty, if the proper means be adopted, and
such milk ought never to be used as food. There is far less difficulty in
recognising clinically that a cow is distinctly suffering from tuberculosis, in
which case she may be yielding tuberculous milk. The milk coming from
such a cow ought not to form part of human food, and indeed ought not to
be used as food at all.
Our results clearly point to the necessity of measures more stringent
than those at present enforced, being taken to prevent the sale or the consumption
of such milk."
It is a matter for regret that while large sums have been spent in
the campaign against tuberculosis, this well-known source of infection
has not been effectively dealt with. So far as London is concerned,
the London County Council, in pursuance of their powers under the
London County Council (General Powers) Acts, takes certain action
in this matter and the analysis of samples of milk from many English
Counties, taken by them at London railway stations, demonstrates the
lamentable fact that milk containing tubercle bacilli is still being
sent to London.
It would appear that, in the words of the Royal Commission's
Report previously quoted, there is a necessity of "measures more
stringent than those at present enforced being taken to prevent the
sale or the consumption of such milk."
Public Health (Milk and Cream) Regulations, 1912 and 1917.
These Regulations aim at securing that cream containing prservative
shall be distinguished at all stages of sale from cream to which
no preservative has been added. It is no longer permitted in any case
to add preservative to milk.
The Ministry of Health require the Medical Officer of Health to
report on the administration of the above-mentioned Regulations, and
for convenience the report has been drawn up under the following
headings:—