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
Marylebone 1904
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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94
of Battersea, and other places, then it is obviously the duty
of a Health Authority to consider seriously the question of
establishing a depot.*
In applying to the firm of engineers who arranged the
plant for the Glasgow depot, prices of the apparatus on
various scales, large and small, were submitted. The following
is the cost of the plant for an installation of moderate
size:—
Specification for Municipal Milk Depot: 100 to 500 Children.
| Vertical steam boiler, mounted, including injector | £34 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 sterilisers, capacity about 400 bottles each, for steam | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 "Ross Jones" automatic bottle filler on iron stand and stays | 38 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 steam turbine bottle washer—2 brushes | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 galvanized iron tank for ditto | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| 1 Gerber tester | 3 | 10 | 0 |
| 50 gross bottles | 46 | 15 | 0 |
| 450 wire baskets, 9 bottles each | 21 | 17 | 6 |
| 50 „ ,, large | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 galvanised iron soak tank | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 mixing tank, gauged | 5 | 0 | |
| 1 patent strainer | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Measures and other necessary tins | 9 | 5 | O |
| £226 | 2 | 6 |
Not including fittings.
For Depot such as established at Ashton-under-Lyne.
To this estimate must be added the cost of fitting and
the cost of altering premises so as to be adapted for the
process, and other expenses, bringing the probable total cost
to something like £800, but if the experience of other places
is a guide, the maintenance, including interest of money,
rent, rates, wages and cost of distribution would be
met by the profit on sales and not fall on the
rates. It may be reasonably asked, Why not rather
trust to private enterprise than start a new form of
*Apparently there are no statutory powers enabling Metropolitan districts to
establish such depots, therefore these would first have to be acquired.