London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Beckenham 1908

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Beckenham]

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17
General Sanitary Circumstances of the District.
During the year I have made continual inspections in
the District. I have visited from time to time the Dairies, Milkshops
and Bakehouses, and many other such premises where
food is prepared or sold. I find, perhaps, some slight improvement
in the methods of cleanliness, but there is still much to be
desired in this respect.
Milk as a Producer of Disease.
In regard to the management of milch cows in Beckenham
by the Milk Trade, I have nothing further to add to the observations
I made on this subject in my last Annual Report—the
laws relating thereto are kept.
But although the laws are observed, the arrangements for
Cattle Management do not comply with the requirements of
their health, on the contrary, they are conducive to the spread
of Tuberculosis among the animals. To obtain sound milk
healthy beasts are essential, and healthy beasts are not produced
by unhealthy measures. Cows display signs of
Tuberculosis either by wasting and cougning, or their udders
are obviously involved, or the disease can only be detected
by injection of vaccine.
The milk obtained from tuberculous cattle becomes contaminated
by tuberculous germs, either directly from the
infected animals' blood vessels or indirectly from extraneous
sources.
Tubercle germs, be they obtained from human beings or
from milch kine, are dangerous to human health and life,
whether they be inhaled, or be taken into the bowels with the
food. And bovine tubercle contaminated milk is especially
dangerous to our child population, and tuberculous disease
there from often occurs in them in the shape of tuberculosis
of the bowels, because they are so dependent upon cow's milk
for their nutriment.
Enforce the existing regulations and whitewash cow
sheds at stated intervals, see to it that they are kept with a