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
London County Council 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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49
In addition to the above, 238 samples of milk supplied to schools and general,
special and mental hospitals and public assistance institutions, were examined
bacteriologically at the Southern Group laboratory at the Park hospital, or at the
bacteriological laboratory at the County Hall. The results obtained are shown in
the tables set out below.
The milk supplied to schools (other than open-air schools), mental hospitals and
public assistance institutions is not purchased under any of the standards specified
in the Milk (Special Designations) Order, 1923, and a standard was devised for what
would be regarded as ordinary clean milk. The standard adopted was : bacterial
content, not more than 300,000 per c.c., and B. Coli not to be present in 1/1,000 c.c.
If below this standard, the chief officer of supplies was informed that the milk could
not be regarded as satisfactory.
The contracts for the supply of milk to general and special hospitals and open-air
schools provide for the supply of pasteurised milk, which is required under the provisions
of the Milk (Special Designations) Order, 1923, to conform to the following
standard: the milk must not contain more than 100.000 organisms per c.c.
As in the case of raw milk for school supplies, the requirement as to the absence of B. Coli in 1/1,000 c.c. was adopted.
Raw Milk
| School supplies. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Conforming to standard | 135 | |
| Not conforming to standard— | ||
| B. Coli present in 1/1,000 c.c. | 42 | |
| Bacterial count exceeding 300,000 per c.c., but conforming to B. Coli standard | 9 | |
| Bacterial count exceeding 300,000 per c.c., together with excess of B. Coli | 10 | 61 |
| Samples examined | 196 | |
| Mental hospitals and public assistance institutions— | ||
| Conforming to standard | 5 | |
| Not conforming to standard— | ||
| B. Coli present in 1/1,000 c.c. | 1 | |
| Samples examined | 6 | |
| Pasteurised Milk. | ||
| Hospital supplies—- | ||
| Conforming to standard | 17 | |
| Not conforming to standard— | ||
| B. Coli present in 1/1,000 c.c. | 4 | |
| Bacterial count exceeding 100,000 per c.c. but conforming to B. Coli standard | 3 | |
| Bacterial count exceeding 100,000 per c.c., together with excess of B. Coli | 7 | 14 |
| Samples examined | 31 | |
| Open-air schools— | ||
| Conforming to standard | 1 | |
| Not conforming to standard— | ||
| B. Coli present in 1/1,000 c.c. | 1 | |
| Bacterial count exceeding 100,000 per c.c. but conforming to B. Coli standard | 1 | |
| Bacterial count exceeding 100,000 per c.c. together with excess of B. Coli | 2 | 4 |
| Samples examined | 5 | |