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

Hampstead 1951

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hampstead Borough]

This page requires JavaScript

Text

Copy text to clipboard

15
Milk supply.

Table: There are 74 Distributors on the Register. Samples of milk were taken in course of delivery to the various schools and hospitals in the district, as follows:-

There are 74 Distributors on the Register. Samples of milk were taken in course of delivery to the various schools and hospitals in the district, as follows:-

Bacteriological Examination.Chemical Analysis.
Hospitals27
Schools114

Text

Copy text to clipboard

All were found satisfactory.
The average milk fat content was 3·55 per cent.
Milk (Special Designations) Regulations.

Table: 189 licences were issued during the year to sell specially designated milk as follows:-

189 licences were issued during the year to sell specially designated milk as follows:-

Dealers' licence.Supplementary licence.
To sell "Pasteurised" Milk3725
„ "Sterilised" Milk3825
„ "Tuberculin Tested" Milk3124
,, "Accredited" Milk54

Text

Copy text to clipboard

Hampstead Heath Fair.
As usual members of the Inspectorial staff and their assistants were
on duty throughout the Easter, Whitsun and August Bank Holiday fairs.
Some idea of the intensive work involved in sampling alone on these
fair days may be gauged from the fact that no less than 101 articles of
food and drink were submitted to bacteriological examination and 79 to
chemical analysis. Included in these figures are 38 samples of Ice-cream
which were submitted to the "Methylene Blue" test. It is interesting
to compare the improvements over the years since more intensive
inspection began as illustrated by the following table: —
Year.
No. of
Samples
taken.
Grading under Meth.
Blue Test.
1
2
3
4
Percentage of
Grades 1 and 2
Samples.
per cent.
1948 8 Nil 3 2 3 37·5
1949 9 1 2 3 3 33·3
1950 20 10 4 3 3 70
1951 38 23 6 4 5 77·8
These results are significant in the light of the gradually improving
hygienic conditions we have been able to secure over the period since
1948, viz.:-
(i) Improved siting of food stalls.