Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health / City Council of Pretoria.

  • Pretoria (South Africa). Health Department.
Date:
[1927]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health / City Council of Pretoria. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    22/52 (page 18)
    The new code of Dairy By-laws referred to in last year’s report were only gazetted in August 1927. ControO] of Dairies.—The inspection of dairies both within and without the Municipal¬ ity is carried out by the Dairy Inspector. General supervision is exercised by the Medical Of¬ ficer of Health and Chief Sanitary Inspector. During the year the Dairy Inspector made 2,348 visits to dairy premises. Certain dairies outside the twenty-mile radius can only be visited once a year. i Following on reports of unsatisfactory conditions found on inspection, or on unsatisfac¬ tory bacteriological or chemical analyses 477 notices and letters were addressed to dairy¬ men; 17 prosecutions were instituted and fines amounting to £44, were imposed. Further particulars are given in the report of the Chief Sanitary. Inspector. Bacteriological Examinations of Milk.—The Municipal standard allows not more ‘than 100,000 organisms per c.c. and no B. coli in 0.1 c.c. 88 samples were examined with the following results:—37 samples were satisfactory in regard to both total number of organisms and number of B. coli. 11 samples were satis¬ factory as regards total number of organisms but showed an excessive number of B. coli; 11 samples were satisfactory as regards B. coli ,but showed a total count above what is per¬ mitted by the by-laws. 31 samples were unsatisfactory in both respects. These unsatisfac¬ tory samples occurred in every month of the year, and just as frequently in town as in coun¬ try milk. These 31 samples were obtained from 27 dairies. The proportion of unsatisfactory samples must not be looked upon as an index of the general purity of the milk supply as samples are taken much more frequently from dairies which are suspected to be producing an impure milk than from those which on inspection appear to be satisfactory. Chemical Analyses.—149 samples were analysed. In most cases the percentage of fat is well above the standard of 3 per cent. In 14 instances it was below the standard, but with two exceptions only very slightly. On the other hand quite a large proportion of the sam¬ ples showed non-fatty solids slightly belowr the standard, though the total solids were well above it. In only one instance was it necessary to institute legal proceedings for the sale of milk adulterated with water. Ice Cream.—Thirty-nine samples were submitted to bacteriological examination. Seven contained not more than 1,000 organisms per c.c. and with one exception no B. coli in 0.1 c.c. Seven others contained not more than 10,000 organisms and no B. coli in 0.01 c.c. These may be regarded as satisfactory. Of the remaining 25, six had no B. coli in 0.01 c.c. In 16 instances the number of organisms amounted to millions per c.c. with in many cases B. coli in 0.00001 c.c. or less. It has been established that it is quite possible to make a first-class ar¬ ticle from pasteurised cream containing less than 1,000 organisms per c.c. and no B. coli in 0.1 c.c. Some of the worst samples were obtained from fashionable tea-rooms. Warnings were issued to the sellers of all unsatisfactory samples, and in nine cases legal proceedings were instituted and fines to the amount of £47.10/- inflicted. MEAT SUPPLIES. The Superintendent Inspector at the Abattoirs reports as follows:— I beg to submit the Report for the year ended 30th June 1927. Animals Slaughtered:— Oxen. 1926-1927 . 17,914 1925-1926 . 17,101 Cows. 4,489 4,357 Bulls. 206 169 Calves. 1,970 1,821 Sheep. 72,971 67,865 Goats. 2,581 1,180 Pigs. 6,723 5,721 j 1926-1927. 1925-1926. Total cattle slaughtered . Total sheep and goats slaughtered . Total animals slaughtered. . . 22,609 75,552 106,854 21,627 69,045 98,214 The above figures show that 8,640 more animals were slaughtered and inspected than during the previous year.