Health Committee's report / City of Melbourne.

  • Melbourne (Vic.). Health Committee.
Date:
[1949]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

    37/48 (page 31)
    BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS OF MILK SAMPLES, 1949 The following report has been received from the Dairying Division of the Department of Agriculture, of the bacteriological examination of milk samples within the City area during 1949. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE—DAIRYING DIVISION (1) Raw Milk Samples Results of the Examination of Samples by the Direct Microscopic Count method, during the period January to December, 1949, from dairies situated in the Melbourne City area:— Melbourne/Carlton No. 1 2 3 4 Flemington & Kensington 5 6 North Melbourne 7 8 9 10 11 12 Samples Complied .. 10 8 .. 13 7 .. 13 13 .. 14 10 .. 8 8 .. 15 12 .. 13 13 .. 12 11 .. 4 4 .. 10 7 .. 13 9 .. 19 19 144 121 84.1% compliance (2) Pasteurised Milk Samples Additional samples taken for Special Tests of Pasteurised Milk from a Remington Dairy. of which 21 visits 53 samples 28 complied in respect of Standard Plate Count. 52.8% 48 complied in respect of Coliform Test . 90.6% 36 complied in respect of Phosphatase Test . 100% SWIMMING BATHS In addition to the regular sampling for bacteriological examination of the water in the various pools throughout the City carried out during the warm weather, by arrangement with the City Engineer’s Department, since the middle of the year, regular weekly tests have been taken of all the pools when in active use by a fair attendance of bathers. The results of these examinations, together with those for free chlorine in the water, give the assurance that the purification plants were operating reasonably satisfactorily. The benefit to be derived from the more regular and frequent tests is that they will enable us to determine more definitely the average condition of the waters throughout the year. RODENT CONTROL Constant attention has been given to this important work throughout the City proper; food premises, shops and warehouses have been regularly visited, whilst visits to the outer areas have been made as th.e occasion demanded. No abnormal conditions were noticed that would indicate any sickness in the rat population, and consequently no specimens were submitted for bacteri¬ ological examination. The constant depletion of the staff adds considerably to the worry of combatting the rat menace and despite every effort we have been unable to recruit any labour for this important work. The Commonwealth, Employment Service has been quite unable to assist us in the procuring of labour and it might be necessary for the Council to advertise the positions and with the prospect of increased remuneration we might be able to fill the positions. The extent of the operations of both inspectors and rat gang is shown in the following table, in addition to which the rat staff prepared 84,000 poison baits, of which 54,000 were laid by the staff and 30,000 supplied to ratepayers, together with directions as to how baits should be used. We have again followed the practice of making a survey of all premises where poison baits have been laid, from which is ascertained the actual number of baits taken by the rats. As this