London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1926
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
This page requires JavaScript
29
The samples were collected with particular regard to cleanliness and in the manner
reported in detail to your Committee in November, 1924.
The samples had been despatched from 42 different farms, situated in the following counties:—
| Cambridgeshire | 1 sample. |
| Essex | 11 samples. |
| Hertfordshire | 1 sample. |
| Huntingdonshire | 3 samples. |
| Norfolk | 13 samples. |
| Suffolk | 13 samples. |
The following is a summary of Sir Frederick Andrewes' report on the results of the
bacteriological examinations:—
"Dirt.—28 out of 42 specimens are passed as clean (two-thirds of the whole). The
remainder contained minimal traces of dirt—only one had larger traces (No. 42)—and
even that I should not class as a dirty milk. The improvement in the cleanness of the
milks has been gradual for several years, but I have been struck by the exceptional cleanness
of the specimens on this occasion.
"Tubercle.—Owing to an outbreak of B. Aertrycke infection in the animal house,
several animals died prematurely. In five instances death occurred within the first week
after inoculation, and such animals must be struck out as 'Frustrate experiments.' In
three more instances death occurred during the second week after inoculation, and although
careful search failed to reveal any tubercle bacilli, I have returned these as doubtfully
negative.
"In 34 cases the result is reasonably certain, and in these no single animal has shown
any sign of tubercle. This is, I think, the first time since I began to examine milk samples
for the Corporation in 1913, that no tuberculous milk has been found amongst the samples
taken.
"(Signed) F. W. ANDREWES, M.D."
The bacteriological result above shown is distinctly satisfactory, especially in view of
the fact that it follows progressively equally satisfactory results in two series of experiments
conducted in 1925.
For purposes of comparison, the following summary of results obtained since the examination of milk on arrival in the City was first commenced in 1904, is here inserted :—
| Year. | Percentage showing Tuberculous infection. | Year. | Percentage showing Tuberculous infection. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1904 | 7.7 per cent. | 1917 | 4.2 per cent. | |
| 1905 | 9.1 „ „ | 1919 | 14.8 „ „ | |
| 1906 | 8.0 „ „ | 1921 | 24.2 ,, ,, (1st series) | |
| 1907 | 8.3 „ „ | 26.3 „ „ (2nd „ ) | ||
| 1909 | 12.5 „ „ (1st series) | 12.5 „ „ (3rd „ ) | ||
| 4.7 „ „ (2nd „ ) | 1922 | 9.5 „ „ | ||
| 1910 | 6.25 „ „ | 1923 | 2.6 „ „ | |
| 1912 | 6.6 „ | 1924 | 12.8 „ „ | |
| 1913 | 10.4 „ „ | 1925 | 2.4 „ „ (1st series) | |
| 1914 | 10.2 „ „ | 12.4 „ „ (2nd „ ) | ||
| 1915 | 8.5 „ „ | 1926 | - „ „ | |
The chemical examination showed that, with three exceptions, the samples were sample;
of genuine milk and free from Boric Acid or Formalin. The offences in the three exceptions
were :—
Sample No. 705 5 per cent. Fat abstracted.
„ 743
„ „ 768 ,, „ „
The consignors of the above-mentioned three samples were cautioned and examination
of subsequent samples collected from the same sources, on arrival in the City, showed that
e