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
St Pancras 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, Metropolitan Borough]
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| T.T. (Past) | . Past. | Ster. | H.T. | Totals | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Satisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Satisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Satisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Satisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Satisfactory | Unsatisfactory | |
| L.C.C. Schools and Institutions | – | – | 58 | 4 | – | – | 4 | – | 62 | 4 |
| Day Nurseries | 1 | – | 8 | – | – | – | 11 | 2 | 20 | 2 |
| Dairies | 11 | – | 46 | 1 | 4 | – | 2 | – | 63 | 1 |
| Totals | 12 | – | 112 | 5 | 4 | – | 17 | 2 | 145 | 7 |
2. Ice Cream.
180 samples of ice cream were submitted for examiuation, the result being that 113
were regarded as satisfactory and 67 unsatisfactory.
There is still no legal standard in regard to ice cream, but this bacteriological examination
is an indication of the degree of purity. Where samples are consistently unsatisfactory action
is taken to remedy defects in manufacture or handling, or to improve the cleansing and
sterilisation of utensils used in the production of the ice cream. Almost invariably a higher
grade product is the result.
The importance of taking samples of ice cream for examination lies in the fact that
it keeps manufacturers alive to their responsibilities. Generally speaking, they show a keen
interest in the result of the examinations of their samples and have a genuine desire to aim
at and to maintain a high standard.
Where unsatisfactory samples of ice cream were manufactured outside the Borough
I communicated with the Medical Officer of Health of the appropriate area to enable him to
investigate the conditions under which the commodity was produced.
The following table shows the detailed results of the examinations of ice cream samples during the years 1947 and 1948, and indicates that the improvement anticipated in my last report was achieved during the latter period:—
| 1947 | 1948 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samples | % | Samples | |||
| Satisfactory | Grade I | 17 | 22.3 | 75 | 41.7 |
| Grade II | 14 | 18.4 | 38 | 21.1 | |
| Unsatisfactory | Grade III | 23 | 30.3 | 31 | 17.2 |
| Grade IV | 22 | 29.0 | 36 | 20.0 | |
| Totals | 76 | 100.0 | 180 | 100.0 | |