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
Kensington 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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| Purveyors of milk in sealed bottles. | Dairvmen. | Dairies and milkshops. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| T ransfers | 20 | 20 | |
| Added to register | 24 | 1 | 1 |
| Vacated and removed from register | 1 | — | — |
| Dairymen with premises outside the borough added to register | _ | 3 | |
| On register January 1st, 1932 | 49 | 158 | 151 |
| On register December 31st, 1932 | 72 | 162 | 152 |
| (+) Increase. (—) Decrease | + 23 | +4 ' | + 1 |
The total number of inspections of dairies and milkshops in the borough in 1932 was 420.
During the year 1932, proceedings were taken in respect of milk being bottled in streets in
four cases. In one case, a fine of £3 3s. was imposed, and in another a fine on £1 Is. Od. ; the other
two summonses were dismissed.
Milk (Special Designations) Order, 1923.—Under the Order the council are authorised to grant
licences to persons other than producers to sell milk under special designations. Every licence
granted is valid for a period ending on the 31st December in the year in respect of which it is
granted. The Order lays down a schedule of fees to be paid bv applicants for licences.
The licences granted in 1932 were as follows :—
| (a) Dealers' licences to use the designation "Certified Milk " | 7 |
| (b) Dealers' licences to use the designation " Grade A (Tuberculin | |
| Tested) Milk " | 8 |
| (c) Dealers' licences to use the designation " Pasteurised Milk " | 43 |
In all but nine cases the licences were granted for the purpose of authorising the dealers
to sell specially designated milk from shops within the borough. No application was made
for a licence to set up a pasteurising establishment within the borough.
During the year, twenty-two samples of "Certified Milk," and twenty-five of " Pasteurised Milk " were taken for the purpose of ascertaining whether they complied with the bacteriological standards laid down in the Milk (Special Designations) Order, which are as follows :—
| Special class of milk. | Maximum number of bacteria permitted per c.c. | Standard for bacillus coli. |
|---|---|---|
| " Certified Milk " | 30,000 | Must not be found in one-tenth c.c. |
| "Grade A. (Tuberculin Tested) Milk" | 200,000 | Must not be found in one-hundredth c.c. |
| "Pasteurised Milk" | 100,000 | No standard provided. |
The results of the examinations, together with the action taken, are shown in the following tables :—
| Sample collected Oil | Bacteria per 1 c.c. | Coli per l/10th c c. | Sample collected on | Bacteria per 1 c.c. | Coli per l/10th c.c. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *24th May | 116,000 | Nil. | 26th July | 550 | Nil. |
| 24th May | 940 | ,, | 24th August | 6,800 | ,, |
| 14th June | 29,000 | ,, | 30th August | 360 | ,, |
| 14th June | 300 | ,, | 31st August | 1,550 | ,, |
| 21st June | 1,100 | ,, | 31st August | 1,040 | ,, |
| *24th June | 906,600 | Present. | 27th September | 560 | ,, |
| *28th June | 9,200 | ,, | 27th September | 440 | ,, |
| * 5th July | 6,600 | ,, | 27th September | 1,300 | ,, |
| *12th July | 13,400 | ,, | 31st October | 390 | ,, |
| 19th July | 19,600 | Nil. | 31st October | 270 | ,, |
| 19th July | 730 | ,, | 30th November | 380 | ,, |
The results in each case were forwarded to the Minister of Health, who grants the licences to
producers.
Those indicated by an asterisk do not comply with the standards laid down for certified milk.
Special examinations were made at the retailers' premises and in each case they were found to be
satisfactory.