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
City of London 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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57
From the foregoing it will be seen that, in one instance, the sample of milk suggested
the possibility of the presence of tuberculosis at the farm of production, and the Medical
Officer of Health of the area in which the farm was situated was accordingly informed of
the circumstances, and although, on first examination, no clinical evidence of disease was
found on the farm, milk sampling and subsequent post-mortem examination of a roan cow
revealed lesions of tuberculosis in the udder. So far as the presence of dirt was concerned,
the samples examined proved to be satisfactory.
For the purposes of comparison, the following summary of results since 1904 is here inserted :—
| Year. | Percentage showing Tuberculous Infection. | Year. | Percentage showing Tuberculous Infection. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1904 | 7.7% | 1922 | 9-5% |
| 1905 | 9.1% | 1923 | 2.6% |
| 1906 | 8.0% | 1924 | 12.8% |
| 1907 | 8.3% | 1925 | 2.4% 1st Series. |
| 1909 | 12.5% 1st Series. | 2 .4% 2nd Series. | |
| 4.7% 2nd Series. | 1927 | 4.88% | |
| 1910 | 6.25% | 1928 | 8.3% |
| 1912 | 6.6% | 1929 | 5.1% |
| 1913 | 10.4% | 1930 | 4.2% |
| 1914 | 10.2% | 1931 | 9.5% |
| 1915 | 8.5% | 1932 | 9.1% |
| 1917 | 4.2% | 1933 | 11.1% |
| 1919 | 14.8% | 1934 | 8.3% |
| 1921 | 24.2% 1st Series. | 1935 | 0.0% |
| 26.3% 2nd Series. | 1936 | 8.3% | |
| 12.5% 3rd Series. | 1937 | 4.2% |
The chemical examinations undertaken by the Public Analyst showed that every
sample conformed to the required standard.
GENERAL SANITARY WORK.
Artizans' Dwellings, Stoney Lane, Houndsditch.—These Buildings, erected by the late
Commissioners of Sewers and opened in January, 1885, stand upon ground formerly the
site of several courts and alleys in the Ward of Portsoken.
There are five "blocks" of Dwellings, severally named King's, Queen's, Prince's, North,
and South, designed for occupation by persons of the artizan class, some of the ground floors
being let as shops. The Buildings contain 501 rooms, arranged in 241 tenements, and
are occupied by 557 persons, compared with 589 in 1936. 91 per cent, are adults and 9 per
cent, children (under 14 years).
In addition to these Artizans' Dwellings, the Corporation, in connection with a slum
clearance scheme, erected in the City :—
(1) In December, 1927, a block of buildings, Bearsted House, in Hutchison Street,
which contains 88 rooms, arranged in 24 tenements, and housing at the end of 1937, 96
persons (97 per cent, adults and 3 per cent, children).
(2) In January, 1929, a similar block of buildings, Dutton House, in New Street,
containing 52 rooms, arranged in 16 tenements, and housing at the end of 1937, 69 persons
(74 per cent, adults and 26 per cent, children).
There are 7 shops, each with a large and well-lighted basement, in Bearsted House,
and 8 shops, similarly provided with a basement, in Dutton House.
The total population of these dwellings is 722.