View report page

(5)
Arrangements have been made with the County Council for
the taking of samples of "Tuberculin Tested." milk once
a quarter, to ho sent to the laboratory at Hill End Hospital,
St, Albans, for examination, with the view of ascertaining whether
the samples conform to the standard required for such milk.
During the year a number of such samples were taken and
submitted for examination. The Herts County Council reported that
on two occasions samples of School Milk supplied by a certain
dairy did not satisfy the Methylene Blue Test and I was requested to
accompany the Veterinary Inspector to see what could be done to
improve the standard of the milk.
On the occasion of the first visit, cows were being kept
on the premises, but the Manager informed me that the Cowshed
was about to be shut up and the cows transferred to another branch.
The second sample was taken after the cows had gone, and as the
milk had arrived bottled from other depots, it was apparent that
the trouble was not in the Cowshed.
A short time after, a local resident asked me to examine
a bottle of milk supplied by the same firm. The bottle had a
thick black ring on the inside, from which it would appear that the
sterilization of the bottles was not efficiently performed.
As the depot responsible is in Middlesex, I reported the
circumstances to the Herts County Council.
A sample of milk taken from another Farm was unsatisfactory,
in as much as Coliform Bacillus 1/100 was present in three tubes.
The Farm was inspected and later a further sample was taken which
proved satisfactory.
All other samples taken were reported as satisfactory.
PRIVATE SLAUGHTER HOUSES.
The number of Slaughter Houses in the district is five,
as against six in the previous year.
Four of these are licensed and one registered.