London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Carshalton 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Carshalton]
This page requires JavaScript
Biological Samples
Twenty-one samples of milk were procured and submitted for
animal inoculation tests. One gave positive evidence of tuberculosis and
in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries the infected
animal was eliminated from the herd.
Milk and Dairies Regulations, 1049—Regulation 20.
The powers provided by this Regulation were exercised to deal with
milk from a local herd in which a cow had been detected by biological
examination to be giving tuberculous milk. Following the elimination of
the diseased cow, arrangements were made to sterilise the milk from
the herd until further tests covering the remaining beasts were shown
to be satisfactory.
Analyses
The number of samples of milk submitted to the Public Analyst
was 230. The analyses show that four of them had less than the statutory
limit of 8.5% of solids not fat. The average fat content of all the samples
was 3.65% and that of solids not fat 8.77%.
Ice Cream
The steady improvement in the bacterial purity of ice cream sold in the district was maintained, as the following table, showing the results of the tests made during the year and those of preceding years, indicates:
| 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 | — | — |
| 1954 | 98 | 94 | 2 | 2 | — |
Eleven samples submitted to the Public Analyst satisfied the
requirements of the Food and Drugs act and the orders made thereunder
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.
The quantity of meat found to be unfit for human consumption was
3,933 lbs. 5 oz.
40