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
Carshalton 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Carshalton]
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Biological Samples
Fifteen samples of milk were taken during the year and all failed to
reveal evidence of tuberculosis.
Milk and Dairies Regulations, 1949—Regulation 20
No action was necessary under these Regulations which enable the
Medical Officer of Health to prohibit the sale for human consumption
of infected milk capable of transmitting infection to man or to require
its treatment so as to render it innocuous.
Ice Cream
Eighty-four samples of ice cream were submitted to bacteriological examination and were graded as shown in the following table, which gives the corresponding figures for the preceding six years:
| Year | No. of Samples | Grade | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 1947 | 84 | 14 | 16 | 36 | 18 |
| 1948 | 147 | 52 | 26 | 53 | 16 |
| 1949 | 139 | 69 | 33 | 28 | 9 |
| 1950 | 155 | 103 | 29 | 16 | 7 |
| 1951 | 105 | 80 | 19 | 6 | – |
| 1952 | 94 | 70 | 17 | 7 | – |
| 1953 | 84 | 78 | 6 | – | – |
The progressive improvement in the bacterial purity was continued.
For the first year since this system of grading was introduced, all samples
conformed to the requirements of the two higher grades.
Eleven samples submitted to the Public Analyst were found to
satisfy the Ice Cream Order which requires this commodity to have a
fat content of 4%, milk solids other than fat 5% and sugar 10%.
Ice Cream (Heat Treatment, etc.) Regulations, 1947-1952
There are no manufacturers of ice cream in the district, all the
registered retailers drawing their supplies from reputed manufacturers
outside the district.
All retailers are provided with refrigerator cabinets which maintain
a temperature well below 28° F. in accordance with the Regulations.
Meat
All meat sold by retail is supplied from Ministry of Food depots
outside the district. No slaughtering within the district is carried on as
far as is known. Inspection of meat, therefore, is limited to that displayed
for sale or held by retailers prior to sale.
Approximately 2,813 lbs. of meat were found to be unfit for human
food.
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