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102 .
was appended to the paper — and foretold that suitable regulations
would lead to a large reduction in the number of
slaughter-houses; and this has come to pass. It is almost
unnecessary, therefore, to say that, in principle, I am in
sympathy with the views of the Public Health Committee and
the medical officer of the Council.
LICENSED COW-HOUSES.
Four premises were licensed in October to be used as cowhouses
: three of them are situated in North Kensington, and
one in South Kensington. The several premises were regularly
inspected by the sanitary inspectors. The names of the
licensees, and the localities of the premises, are set out in
Table XII. (appendix). The premises were inspected in July
by the Sanitary Committee, and found to be in a generally
satisfactory condition. There were only 14 cows in the sheds:
not many years ago there were 28 sheds, containing about
500 cows. There has been a considerable reduction in the
number of cow-houses in the metropolis, viz., from 1,044 in
1880, to 353 in 1898, or 22 fewer than in 1897.
Milk AND Tuberculosis.—The Public Health Committee
of the London County Council, in their report of 21st July,
referred to in the preceding section on slaughter-houses, dealt
also with the question of milk as a factor in the causation of
human tuberculosis, and made recommendations, under the
heading " Diseases in the Udders of Cows," as follows :—
"Tat notification of every disease in the udder shall be made compulsory,
under penalty, on the owners of all cows, whether in private dairies or
those of which the milk is oftered for sale."
"That for the purpose of excluding from their districts the milk of cows
affected with tuberculosis of the udder, or exhibiting clinical symptoms
of the disease, local authorities should be given powers somewhat
similar to those of Sections 24-27 of the Glasgow Police (Amendment)
Act, with powers to slaughter such cows, subject to compensation
under the conditions named in the report."