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 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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45
FOOD SUPPLY.
Milk and Dairies (Consolidation) Act, 1915.—The council have decided that a number of samples
of milk shall be taken each year for the purpose of examination for the presence of tubercle bacilli.
In the year 1937 twenty-one samples were examined, and one, taken from a road tank arriving
at a Kensington dairy, was found to contain the germs of tuberculosis. In accordance with statutory
procedure, the result of this examination was sent to the medical officer of health for the county
in which the milk was produced.
It is worthy of mention that all milk received at the Kensington dairy in question is pasteurised
before delivery to the customer, thus reducing the danger of spreading tuberculosis by the consumption
of the milk. During the year three samples of milk taken from the dairy after pasteurisation
were examined for the presence of tubercle bacilli, and each one gave a negative result.
Composition of Milk Samples.—Of the 379 formal samples of milk taken under the Food and
Drugs (Adulteration) Act, 1928, in 1937, six were found to be adulterated.
This statement does not give any indication of the general quality of the milk supplied in the borough, and it will therefore be interesting to note from the following table the average composition of the samples taken:— Average composition of formal milk samples taken in 1937.
| Months. | Number of formal samples taken. | Average composition of all samples submitted, genuine and adulterated. | Average composition of genuine samples. | Ministry of Agriculture standard. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of milk fat. | Percentage of solids not fat. | Percentage of milk fat. | Percentage of solids not fat. | Percentage of milk fat. | Percentage of solids not fat. | ||
| January | 14 | 3•61 | 8•78 | 3•62 | 8•78 | 3•0 | 8•5 |
| February | 45 | 3•53 | 8•74 | 3•54 | 8•80 | ||
| March | 28 | 3•71 | 8•84 | 3•71 | 8•86 | ||
| April | 22 | 3•54 | 8•76 | 3•60 | 8•75 | ||
| May | 49 | 3•36 | 8•81 | 3•36 | 8•81 | ||
| June | 36 | 3•40 | 8•87 | 3•42 | 8•87 | ||
| July | 42 | 3•50 | 8•77 | 3•50 | 8•77 | ||
| August | 42 | 3•49 | 8•73 | 3•49 | 8•73 | ||
| September | 25 | 3•65 | 8•74 | 3•05 | 8•74 | Average composition or Normal cow's milk. | |
| October | 28 | 3•81 | 8•81 | 3•81 | 8•81 | ||
| November | — | — | — | — | — | Percentage of milk fat. | Percentage of solids not fat. |
| December | 48 | 3•82 | 8•87 | 3•82 | 8•87 | ||
| 379 | 3•58 | 8•79 | 3•59 | 8•80 | 3•7 | 8•9 | |
The following table has been prepared to show the number of samples (formal and informal) of good, fair and poor quality milk, all of genuine composition, taken during each quarter of the year:— Classification of genuine milk samples according to quality.
| Period. | Good quality. | Fair quality. | Poor quality. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937. | ||||
| First quarter | 6 | 71 | 14 | 91 |
| Second quarter | 5 | 65 | 35 | 105 |
| Third quarter | 3 | 99 | 6 | 108 |
| Fourth quarter | 36 | 41 | 2 | 79 |
| Totals | 50 | 276 | 57 | 383 |
| Percentages | 13•1 | 72•1 | 14•8 | 100 |
The table shows that the average fat and non-fatty solid content for each month of the year
is well above the legal standard, and makes it clear that suspicion should fall on every sample which
at any time of the year shows a fat content as low as three per cent.