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175
Cowhouses,
The numbers of cowhouses licensed by the Council in the past five years were
as follows 1921, 101; 1922, 100; 1923, 98; 1924, 89; 1925, 84.
Tuberculous
milk.
Under the powers conferred on 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 1925, 2,300 samples from milk consigned
to London railway termini from 33 counties were submitted for bacteriological
-examination. Of these samples, 107, or 4.6 per cent., yielded tubercle baccilli as
against 5.04 per cent. present in 1924. In connection with these samples
the veterinary inspector visited 98 farms and examined 2,864 cows. It was
found that 53 cows, i.e., 1.8 per cent., showed signs of tuberculosis or were otherwise
unhealthy; 30 ccws supposed to have been tuberculous had been slaughtered
prior to the inspector's visits. In each case the farmer undertook to have the
animal removed. In addition the inspector re-visited 596 farms, and inspected
14,139 cows; all the animals examined at these re-visits were found to be in a satisfactory
condition with the exception of 75 which appeared to be tuberculous. In
each instance the owner undertook to have the animal removed.
At the request of the City Corporation a farm was inspected, the milk from
which had been found to be infected with tuberculosis, and 41 cows were examined.
No cases of generalised tuberculosis were found, but it was ascertained that two
cows suspected to be suffering from tuberculosis had been slaughtered prior to the
inspector's visit. During 1925, as an experiment, samples of milk from the cows
at all the Council's mental hospitals have been examined at intervals of six months.
One of these samples was found, on bacteriological examination, to be tubercleinfected.
All the cows at the hospital were, therefore, examined, and two which
showed signs of generalised tuberculosis, were slaughtered.
At an inspection of the cows at another mental hospital, one animal affected
with advanced generalised tuberculosis was ordered to be slaughtered.
Arrangements have also been made for the Council's inspector to examine and
Teport on the cows at two of the Council's industrial schools whenever he is in the
neighbourhood of these schools. During the year eight cows were examined, and
one was found to be in an unsatisfactory state of health, although not actually
tuberculous.
An intimation was received from a metropolitan borough council that a sample
of milk retailed in the borough had been found on examination to be tubercle-infected.
As the retailer concerned obtained his supply of milk from various sources, the
Council's inspector visited three farms and examined 84 cows. One cow was found
to be infected with generalised tuberculosis, and arrangements were made with the
farmer for its disposal.
During 1925 four inspections were made of the cows in London cowsheds,
and the total number of examinations made was 6,163. One case of generalised
tuberculosis was detected, and the animal affected was voluntarily slaughtered by
the owner. In 108 cases other unhealthv conditions were found.
Tuberculosis
Order, 1925.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries on 13th July, 1925, issued the Tuberculosis
Order, 1925, which came into force on 1st September, 1925, and revoked the
Tuberculosis Order of 1914. The Order is made under the Diseases of Animals
Acts, 1894 to 1925, and the Council is the local authority for enforcing the Order in
the County outside the City ot London. The Order aims at the destruction of every
cow suffering from tuberculosis ot the udder or giving tuberculous milk and every
bovine animal suffering from tubercular emaciation or trom a chronic cough and
showing definite signs of tuberculosis, a bovine animal being defined as meaning a
bull, cow, ox, heifer or calf.
Under Part V. of its General Powers Act, 1904, the Council had power to seize
and slaughter any cow suspected to be suffering from tuberculosis of the udder,
and under this Act all cows in London sheds have been examined quarterly by the
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