Health Committee's report / City of Melbourne.

  • Melbourne (Vic.). Health Committee.
Date:
[1946]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Health Committee's report / City of Melbourne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    24/32 (page 24)
    Source samples the test age comply age All Sources .- . . 231 193 83.6% 38 16.4% Subsidised Milk . 77 76 98.7% 1 1.3% Metropolitan Hospital . . 40 37 92.5% 3 7.5% Carts in course of delivery and other sources . 114 80 70.2% 34 29.8% The attached Table “A” gives a comparative summary of the average counts of the differ¬ ent milks, which show a considerable improvement on those of last year. Table “B” gives a comparative summary of the averages for the periods 1942-1946. BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS OF MILK SAMPLES — 1946 TABLE “A” COMPARATIVE SUMMARY OF AVERAGE COUNTS OF DIFFERENT MILKS The Counts give the number of Germs per cubic centimetre of milk. Vendor No. of Samples Microscopic Average % (Logarithmic) Count Agar Plate Count of samples Average % of samples under (Logarithmic) under 1 million 50,000 E. coli in 1 ml. Percentages Remarks All Sources . 236 120,000 86.9% 34,000 67.7% + 1 to 'O oo to o © 83 letters 3 evidence s. mastitis 6 evidence gem. bac. contam. Vendor “A” . . Pasteurised 39 85,000 94.9% 24,000 84.7% —79.4% +20.6% 9 letters 1 evidence s. mastitis Vendor “B”. Pasteurised Ob CO 44,000 97.3% 16,000 92.1% —97.4% + 2.6% 4 letters 1 evidence gen,, bac. contam. Vendor “C” . Pasteurised Metropolitan Hospital 40 89,000 90.0% 34,000 65.0% —94.9% + 5.1% 14 letters 1 evidence s. mastitis Milk carts in course of delivery and other sources. 119 250,000 79.8% 48,000 55.4% —53.4% +46.6% 56 letters 1 evidence s. mastitis 5 evidence gen— bac. contam. COMPARATIVE SUMMARY OF BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF MILK SAMPLES FOR THE YEARS, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945 and 1946. TABLE “B” A. Milk bottled in City, pasteurised at country depot B. Milk bottled in City, pasteurised at country depot C. Milk delivered in bulk, pasteurised on farm D. Various milk carts L 2. 3 Microscopic Count Living Germs Percentage of Samples Percentage of samples Percentage of samples showing absence of showing under 1,01)0,000 showing under 50,000 E. coli in 1 ml. per c.c. per c.c. 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 95% 98% 97% 97% 95% 82% 67% 59% 79% 85% 74% 81% 86% 93% 79% 83% 91% 86% 97% 97% 62% 73% 58% 75% 92% 64% 41% 63% 90% 97% 70% 95% 86% 81% 90% 52% 71% 9% 52% 65% 88% 88% 93% 97% 95% 71% 82% 69% 75% 80% 57% 51% 29% 45% 55% 31% 50% 42% 60% 53% Under present conditions a sample of milk may reasonably be expected to contain less than 1 million germs per cub;c centimetre as shown by direct microscopic count (Column 1), less than SO,000 germs per cubic centimetre capable of growing at blood heat (Column 2), and absence ot bacillus coli which is derived from filth, in one-hundredth part of a milli-litre (Column 3). The Table shows what proportion of the samples attained this standard. SWIMMING BATHS As in former years, careful attention has been given to the condition of the water in the various swimming pools throughout the City. Twenty (20) samples of water were submitted for bacteriological examination during the warm weather period. The samples were all taken during the afternoon when the pools were in active use by large numbers of Bathers. The re¬ sult of these examinations, together with those for free chlorine in the water, indicate th^t the purification plants were being maintained generally in a satisfactory condition. RAT DESTRUCTION Constant attention has been given to this important work throughout the City proper; food premises, shops and warehouses having been regularly visited, and visits to the outer areas have been made as occasion demanded. No abnormal conditions were noticed that would indicate any sickness in the rat popula¬ tion, and consequently no specimens were submitted for bacteriological examination. The following table indicates the extent of the operations of the rat gang, which consists at the present moment of a foreman and four rat-catchers. In addition to the* work shown in the table, 90,139 poison baits were prepared by the staff, of which 58, 855 were laid by the rat staff and 31,284 were supplied to ratepayers together with instructions as to how to use them.