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 1963
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, Metropolitan Borough]
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Bacteriological Examination
In addition to the samples of food submitted to the Public Analyst for chemical
examination, 304 samples were taken by the Council's Pood Inspectors and submitted
to the Central Public Health Laboratory, Colindale, for bacteriological examination,
as follows:-
(a) Milk
185 samples were subjected to the phosphatase test which indicates the efficiency
of the method of heat treatment, and the methylene blue test which indicates the
keeping quality of the milk.
Details of the samples are given in the following table:-
| T.T. (Past.) | Past | Ster. | Totals | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Satisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Satisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Satisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Satisfactory | Unsatisfactory | |
| Hospitals | - | - | 8 | - | - | - | 8 | - |
| L.C.C. schools and institutions | 3 | - | 68 | - | - | 1 | 71 | 1 |
| Day nurseries | 1 | - | 14 | - | - | - | 15 | - |
| Distributors | 56 | 4 | 26 | - | 4 | - | 86 | 4 |
| Totals | 60 | 4 | 116 | - | 4 | 1 | 180 | 5 |
(b) Ice-cream
99 samples were taken, mostly from manufacturers, of which 80 reached grades
1 or 2 when subjected to the methylene blue test.
The following table shows the detailed results of these examinations for the year 1963 and preceding years:-
| 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samples | % | Samples | % | Samples | % | Samples | % | Samples | % | |
| Satisfactory - | ||||||||||
| Grade I | 24 | 66.5 | 26 | 65.0 | 29 | 54.7 | 73 | 67.0 | 61 | 61.3 |
| Grade II | 5 | 14.0 | 10 | 25.0 | 8 | 15.1 | 20 | 18.4 | 19 | 19.2 |
| Unsatisfactory - | ||||||||||
| Grade III | 5 | 14.0 | 2 | 5.0 | 7 | 13.2 | 12 | 11.0 | 9 | 9.2 |
| Grade IV | 2 | 5.5 | 2 | 5.0 | 9 | 17.0 | 4 | 3.6 | 10 | 10.3 |
| Totals | 36 | 100.0 | 40 | 100.0 | 53 | 100.0 | 109 | 100.0 | 99 | 100.0 |
(c) Synthetic cream etc.
13 other samples taken were of synthetic cream, 6 of cream cakes and 1 of
imported sausage.
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