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118
Agriculture's Order made under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act,
which came into operation on 1st May, 1913, in securing a healthy milk
supply for this Borough. Consequently I suggested the desirability of
taking further samples of milk for examination, bactcriologieally, as to
the presence of tubercle bacilli. The result is embodied in the following
report:—
To the Chairman and Members of the
Public Health Committee.
Mr. Chairman, Madam, and Gentlemen,
Milk and Tuberculosis.
On this subject I would remind the Committee that on July 15th,
1913, they authorised the taking of 25 samples of milk for examination,
bacteriologically, as to the presence of the tubercle bacillus. These
samples were taken during August and October of that year.
In dealing with these samples due consideration was given to the
report that was submitted to this Committee and to the Local Government
Board on the analysis of milk samples undertaken in the years
1907-8 by the Council. During those years 76 samples were taken for
the purpose of examination as to the presence of the tubercle bacillus'
Of these samples, 21 were taken at railway stations, 14 at hospitals, 33
at shops, and 8 on rounds. Of this number, 17, or 22.4 per cent., were
found to contain virulent tubercle bacilli, and the Council at its meeting
on November 5th, 1908, decided that the attention of the Local Government
Board should be drawn to the fact, with a request that general
legislation should be introduced to deal with the question of tuberculous
milk, which the Council considered was one of grave public concern.
Of the samples then taken a very complete record was kept as to
times, dates, and the actual origin of the milk as far as could be ascertained.
The addresses of the farms from which the tuberculous milk
came were carefully recorded, and the London County Council had these
arms visited at that time.
In taking the 25 samples which the Committee authorised, I beg
to report that attention was given to the sources from which the samples
came that were found to be tuberculous on the former occasion, and each
tuberculous source was again sampled, and these samples submitted to
the Lister Institute. The report of the Lister Institute was to the effect