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
Walthamstow 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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58
Heat-treated milk and non-pulmonary tuberculosis.
Virtually all milk has in fact been so treated since 1949 and it is of interest to note the decrease in notifications of non-pulmonary tuberculosis— which is mainly due to the consumption of milk infected with tubercle—with increasing heat-treatment of milk :—
| Year | Heat Treated Milk (Estimated percentage) | Notifications | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1923 | 10 | 38 | 26 |
| 1923 | 50 | 57 | 27 |
| 1924 | 75 | 56 | 21 |
| 1931 | 80 | 40 | 13 |
| 1944 | 90 | 27 | 14 |
| 1946 | 98 | 25 | 12 |
| 1949 | 99.9 | 19 | 8 |
| 1950 | 99.9 | 7 | — |
| 1951 | 100 | 14 | 4 |
(N.B. The deaths mainly related to cases notified in previous years).
The rise in 1951 may be due to a "time-lag" from evacuation
and the consumption of non-treated milk or possibly to contact
with human infections.
Dr. Ramsay has very kindly assessed the probable sources of
infection in these patients, and the classification would appear to
be as follows :—
Infection from human sources 8
Indefinite 5
Inward transfer 1
14
Milk and Dairies Regulations, 1949.
Notice was served on a milk roundsman who was found to be
suffering from infectious pulmonary tuberculosis.
Prevention of Tuberculosis.
1. The various preventative measures detailed in the 1950
reports were in operation during 1951, except that in November
the chest x-ray examination of teachers on appointment had to be
stopped since the County Council would not approve of payment
to the Regional Hospital Board and the Consultant. An appropriate
amount had been allowed by the Walthamstow Committee for
Education in the Estimates for the year 1952/53, but this was disallowed
by the Local Education Authority early in 1952.