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* Act both as sanitary inspectors and health visitors.
Examination
of milk.
Milk and Dairies (Consolidation) Act, 1915.
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1915, which came into operation on 1st September, 1925, and superseded as from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. During 1932, 2,197 samples of milk were taken from consignments sent to
London from 36 counties and were submitted for biological examination. Of these
samples 1,808 were taken from churns at London railway termini, 314 from churns
entering London by road, and 75 from road and rail tanks at depots of large wholesale
distributors. In the case of 1,957 samples, the biological examination was completed,
and of these 215, or 10.9 per cent., yielded tubercle bacilli, as against 10.2 per
cent, in 1931.
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 114 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 239 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 23 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 theinspectors while engaged in milk sampling. Details
relating to any contraventions of the Order are transmitted to the authorities concerned.