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66
Common
lodging
houses.

Seamen's
lodging
houses.

* One case was adjourned sine die, but defendant was cautioned against a repetition of the offence.
In accordance with the powers conferred upon the Council by Part V. of the London County
Council (General Powers) Act, 1907, the Council has during 1921 made and renewed agreements with
certain metropolitan borough councils for the cleansing of verminous inmates of licensed common lodginghouses
and their clothing.
Offensive
businesses.

The Council for some time past has considered the conditions under which the businesses of a
fur-skin dresser and a slaughterer of poultry have been conducted, and after careful investigation decided
that in many instances such businesses constituted a nuisance and a danger to health. Accordingly
early in 1920 it made orders declaring these businesses to be offensive businesses within the meaning of
section 19 (1) (b) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and the Minister of Health confirmed the
Orders. The Council on 20th December, 1921, made by-laws for regulating the conduct of the business
of a fur skin dresser, and has applied to the Minister of Health for confirmation of the same. Draft
by-laws for regulating the conduct of the business of a slaughterer of poultry are under consideration.
Cowhouses.
The numbers of cowhouses licensed by the Council are as follows 1915, 154 ; 1916, 145 ; 1917,
141 ; 1918, 132 ; 1919, 116 ; 1920, 107 : 1921, 101.
Tuberculous
milk.
Under the powers conferred upon the Council by Part IV. of the London County Council (General
Powers) Act, 1907, samples of milk forwarded to London from places outside the county are examined.
In 1921, 1,956 samples from milk consigned to London railway termini from 33 counties were submitted
for bacteriological examination. Of the 1,808 completed examinations 63, or 3.48 per cent., yielded tubercle
bacilli, as against 59 per cent. in 1920, 6.5 per cent. in 1919, 7.4 per cent. in 1918,10.3 per cent. in 1917,
and 8.7 per cent. in 1916. In connection with these samples the veterinary inspector visited 78 farms
and examined 2,410 cows. It was found that 47 cows, i.e., 1.95 per cent., showed signs of tuberculosis
or were otherwise unhealthy. In each case the farmer undertook to have the animal slaughtered and
meanwhile not again to use the milk. In addition the inspector re-visited 329 farms and inspected
12,702 cows; all the animals examined at these re-visits were found to be in a satisfactory condition with
the exception of 130 which appeared to be tuberculous. In each instance the owner undertook to have
the animal removed. At the request of the City Corporation 18 farms, the milk from which was found on
analysis to be infected with tuberculosis, were also inspected. Of the 710 cows examined, seven were
found to be suffering from generalised tuberculosis and one from tuberculosis of the udder. The usual
arrangements were made with the farmer for the disposal of the animals affected.
During 1921 four inspections were made of the cows in 105 London cowsheds, and the total
number of examinations made was 7,509. No tuberculosis of the udder was detected, but in 40 cases
other unhealthv conditions were found.
Milk supply
and storage.
The Milk and Dairies Act, 1914, was repealed in 1915 by the Milk and Dairies (Consolidation)
Act, which consolidated the law set out in the Act of 1914, with certain provisions of the Contagious
Diseases (Animals) Acts, 1878, and 1886, and the Food and Drugs Act, 1899. It was provided that the
Act of 1915 should come into operation on such date, not later than one year after the war, as the Minister
of Health might appoint. In July, 1919, the Council urged the Minister of Health, as soon as possible,
to bring the Act of 1915 into operation and to exercise the powers therein conferred upon him to make
Orders for preventing danger to health from the sale of infected, contaminated or dirty milk. No reply
was received from the Minister. In the autumn of 1920, however, a Bill to amend the consolidating Act
of 1915 was introduced bv the Minister, but was dropped before second reading.
Measles and
verminous
conditions ir
London.
In February, 1921, a conference was held with representatives of the City Corporation
and the metropolitan borough councils to consider measures for the better control of measles
and the more effective prevention of verminous conditions. The chairman of the Public Health Committee
of the Council (Captain O. E. Warburg, O.B.E., M.A.) presided over the conference. Resolutions
were passed for the purpose of making more effective the existing powers with regard to the
control of measles, and also with a view to further legislation for remedying verminous conditions.
After careful consideration of these resolutions the Council on 12th July, 1921, passed resolutions
as follows:—
(a) That, if so desired by the metropolitan borough councils, the Council is prepared to
send to the authorities of all hospitals and general medical dispensaries and to all private