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
Croydon 1915
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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13
GENERAL MATTERS
TUBERCULOSIS IN MILK.
During the year 72 primary samples and 11 secondary, or repeat,
samples of milk have been procured and examined for tuberculosis.
The 72 primary samples, including 19 samples procured from
milk produced within the Borough, and 53 from milk supplies
produced within the country.
The 19 Borough samples represent the milk of 225 cows belonging
to t8 registered cow-keepers, each sample representing therefore
roughly the milk of 11 cows.
The 53 country samples procured at railway station, or on
delivery, represent 898 gallons of milk, each sample therefore
representing just under 17 gallons.
One inefficient sample of milk submitted by a medical practitioner
was examined for tuberculosis with negative result.
Three samples of the country milk were exam ned for certain
pathogenetic bacteria in addition to tuberculosis, with a negative
result in each case.
The following table shows the number of primary samples of town and country milk examined for tuberculosis, along with the number and percentage of cases in which tuberculosis was found The table gives the yearly results back to 1900.
| Year. | Town Milk. | No. Positive. | Per Centage. | Country Milk. | No. Positive. | Per Centage. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 40 | 5. | — | — | — | |
| 1901 | 1 | — | — | 87 | 5 | 5 7 |
| 1902 | — | — | — | 6 | — | — |
| 1904 | 30 | 1 | 3 3 | — | — | — |
| 1908 | 25 | 1 | 4 | 21 | 3 | 14.2 |
| 1911 | 16 | 1 | 6.2 | 39 | 6 | 15.4 |
| 1912 | 14 | 1 | 7.1 | 31 | 1 | 3.2 |
| 1913 | 14 | 4 | 28.5 | 49 | 4 | 8.1 |
| 1914 | 12 | 1 | 8.3 | 45 | 5 | 11.1 |
| 1915 | 19 | 1 | 5.2 | 53 | 2 | 3.8 |
| Total 1900-15 | 171 | 12 | 7 | 331 | 26 | 7.8 |
Total town and country produced milk, 502 samples, 38 positive
or 7.5 per cent.