London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Malden and Coombe 1948

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Malden & Coombe]

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23
To appreciate the significance of these results it should be
understood that ice cream which consistently fails to reach
Grades I or II gives reasonable grounds to indicate defects in
manufacture or of handling calling for further investigation.
In one such instance trouble was experienced over a period
of two or three months by a local manufacturer and accounts
for a third of those shown in Grades III and IV. Investigations
proved that the low grading was not caused by inefficient methods
or lack of cleanliness, but was due to a small defect in the
apparatus which was only discovered after prolonged search.
Samples were taken at all stages of manufacture and by a process
of elimination the trouble was eventually located and put right.
I might, perhaps, add that the methylene blue test does
not provide a guarantee of safety, but it does serve as a simple
and practical method for grading ice cream according to its
degree of bacterial cleanliness.
SMOKE ABATEMENT.
There is no doubt that the year has seen an improvement in
conditions under this heading, probably due to conversion of
coal burning furnaces to oil, the installation of a more efficient
grit catcher at one laundry and improvement in the quality of
fuel. I am aware that occasionally trouble does occur, but complaints
have been far less. In one instance the Ministry of Fuel
and Power, at my request, sent an engineer expert and a stoker
demonstrator to one large factory and they were able to advise
as to ways and means of avoiding trouble which was then being
experienced. Their visit was much appreciated and the co-operation,
which was freely given, by the factory management had a
most beneficial result.
SHOPS ACT.
The whole of these Acts are administered by my Department
and there appears to have been no instances of intentional
evasion.
ERADICATION OF BED BUGS.

During the year the following number of houses were found to be infested with bed bugs:—

InfestedDisinfested
(a) Council houses22
Council houses (rooms)44
(b) Other houses (rooms)22