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20
Tuberculous
milk.
Milk and Dairies (Consolidation) Act, 1915.
The Milk and Dairies (Consolidation) Act, 1915, came into operation on 1st
September, 1925, and superseded as from 1st September, 1926, Part IV. of the
London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1907. Under the altered arrangements
the Council substituted for the position of full-time veterinary inspector one
of half-time temporary veterinary inspector, subject to periodical review, and has
decided to continue his employment until 30th June, 1932.
Examination
of milk.
Samples of milk forwarded to London from places outside the county are taken
and examined under the provisions of the Milk and Dairies (Consolidation) Act,
1915. During 1931, 2,160 samples of milk were taken from consignments sent to
London from 37 counties and were submitted for biological examination. Of these
samples 1,990 were taken at London railway termini, and 170 from supplies entering
London by road. In the case of 1,970 samples, the biological examination was completed,
and of these 201, or 10.2 per cent., yielded tubercle bacilli, as against 9.1 per
cent. in 1930.
As from 1st July, 1931, the examination of the samples has been carried out
in the Council's Southern group laboratory at the Park hospital, and 1,123 of the
2,160 samples were examined at the County Hall.
From the copies of reports forwarded by the county medical officers of health
for those counties from which tubercular samples were obtained, it would appear
that 109 cows from the herds concerned had been found to be affected with
tuberculosis and were slaughtered under the Tuberculosis Order, 1925.
In the case of 187 samples, it was reported that the injected guinea pigs had
succumbed to an acute intercurrent infection by some organism other than the
tubercle bacillus. In the case of 51 of these samples the deaths of the guinea pigs
were attributed to infection conveyed in the milk. The facts relating to these cases
also were referred to the various county medical officers of health concerned for
them to take such action as might appear necessary.
Conditions which contravene the provisions of the Milk and Dairies Order, 1926,
are sometimes observed by the inspectors while engaged in milk sampling. Details
relating to any contraventions of the Order are transmitted to the authorities concerned.
The cows kept at institutions under the control of the Council have been
inspected quarterly by the Council's veterinary surgeon. In addition, samples of
the milk have been taken twice during the year from the supplies given by the herds
at each of the institutions.
Mental
hospitals and
transferred
institutions.
In respect of those institutions transferred to the Council by the Local Government
Act, 1929, the cows have been inspected and samples of the milk taken on one
occasion only, the scheme having only been applied to those institutions from
1st July, 1931. The results of the routine inspection and the biological examination
of the samples taken from the milk of the herds are shown in the following tables:—

The percentage of samples found to be tubercle infected of the total number of
completed examinations made is 7.6.
Each of the herds at the six institutions whence the eight tuberculous samples
emanated, was inspected, and eight cows were found to be suffering from tuberculosis
and subsequently slaughtered.