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
Holborn 1924
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Holborn, Metropolitan Borough]
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the matter was sent to the London County Council with a view to each of the
three farms being inspected. No evidence of disease could be detected at two,
but at the third it was found that one cow, out of thirty examined, showed signs
of tuberculosis. Arrangements were accordingly made for this animal to be "put
dry" and prepared for slaughter and for the milk to be no longer used in the
meantime.
The vendor of the second sample of milk giving evidence of tuberculous
infection obtained his supply from a Wholesale Company; this milk was mixed
with consignments from many farms and was stated to have been pasteurised.
Communications were addressed to the company respecting the matter. A reply
was received from a representative of the company that it would be an almost
impossible task to identify the milk in question to any particular farmer. The
company arranged for tests to be made to ascertain the efficiency of the
pasteurising process and for a close watch to be kept to see if there was any
possibility of a man getting away with some raw milk when he should only take
pasteurised.
The following table refers to the six samples examined as mentioned above :—
| Date sample taken. | Nature of Shop where purchased. | No. of Organisms per cc. grown at 37° C for 24 hours. | Minimal volume containing Bacillus Coli. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 Nov. 20 | Large milkshop | 33,100 | 0.0l CC |
| N.ov. 20 | Large milk depot | 37,250 | 1 .CC. |
| Nov. 14 | Small milkshop | 67,650 | 0.001 cc. |
| Nov. 14 | Small milkshop | 57,650 | 0.001 cc. |
| Nov. 20 | Small milkshop | 328,400 | 0.01 cc |
| Nov. 14 | Large milkshop | 423,000 | 0 .0001 cc. |
Dirt in Milk.
During the year 55 samples were examined in the Health Office for dirt; 2 contained
dirt, 5 and 2 parts per 100,000 being present.
Those samples of dirty milk were stated by the wholesaler to be from mixed milks
derived from many dairies.
This milk reaches Euston Station consigred from the dairy farmers to the wholesale
milk sellers. In similar instances samples of the milk from individual churns
(which bear the farmer's name) can be taken by the Sanitary Authority in whose area
the railway termini are situated and the source of the dirt traced.
In eleven other cases the Borough analyst examined milk purchased from retailers
who had been proved by examination in the Health Office of milk sold by them to sell
milk which at any rate was occasionally dirty. Ten of these were found to contain dirt
the quantities being in parts per 100,000, 1.5; 1.5; 1.4 ; 1.2; 1.2; 1.0; 0.9; 0'75
and a faint trace in 2. The presence of two parts of dirt per 100,000 is sufficiently
serious to warrant stringent enquiry and serious warnings.
B 2