[Report 1923] / Medical Officer of Health, Monmouthshire County Council.

  • Monmouthshire County Council
Date:
1923
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1923] / Medical Officer of Health, Monmouthshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    50/66 (page 50)
    •^0 The samples reported as containing added water ranged from d-TT jier cent, to 18-29 per cent., but of the six which were so condemned there were hut four which could hy any means he regarded as too serious to be considered capable of explanation by “ natural causes.” The cases of deficiency in fat were, however, 24 in number, ranging from 4-GG per cent, to 28-G() per cent, below the figure for genuine milk, and in my opinion I could not believe that of these deficiencies there were more than two cases wherein the cow could be held responsible; of course there are occasional instances when a cou may give milk notably departing from standard in regard to fat, but as a rule the samples of milk takcm in the County are the product of mixed herds or at any rate in the majority of cases the milk of more than one cow, hence it is difficult to reconcile deficiencies in fat to the extent found at any rate in 22 of the cases. When we consider the av('rage composition of the whole of the samples taken over the whole year and over all parts of the County, and which average I give below, it will be seen that we have certainly a good average milk as judged by the officially-taken samples. Under my general and usual classification we have the results as below:— (a) According to content of fat: Under 3% 3 to 3-49% 3-5 to 3-99% 4 to 4-49% 4-5% and over. 24 258 302 112 39 (b) According to content of solids-not-fat: Under 8-5% S'5 to 8-69% 8-7to8-89% 8-9 to 9-09% 9-1% & over 6 124 2-50 219 13G These results give us an average composition, including adulterated samples, at—fat 3-6G per cent.; solids-not-fat 8-88 per cent.; Total solids 12-54 per cent. That we have a general improvement in quality year by year judged upon the actual percentage of adulterated samples as well as detailed composif loii 1 give a table showing results from the year 191G, when ve leached a figuie of <u u ation in milks of 10-30 per cent, of those received, and 1 suggest that these speak for themselves as to the great improvement over the last few year.s. especially as we do not now get those glaring instances of gross so]ihistication with which we used to meet.