Pasteurisation of Milk
The consumption of milk from cows infected with
bovine TB and in turn the ingestion of
mycobacterium bovis can lead to an individual
developing TB. This was for many years a very
common cause of TB in humans and remains so in
countries that do not routinely pasteurise milk.
Pasteurisation involves the heating of the milk
in such a way as to kill off any bacteria that
might be present, and through its use the spread
of bovine TB has nearly been eradicated in UK.
The 1875 Public Health Act made it compulsory
for local authorities to appoint a Medical
Officer of Health (MoH) who produced an annual
report detailing any health and sanitary issues
in the district as well as statistical
information relating to birth and death rates,
population, infectious diseases and causes of
death. The MoH for Northumberland makes regular
reports on the situation in the county regarding
tuberculosis including comments on the causes of
abdominal tuberculosis and efforts made to
prevent its spread. In the 1906 report he
states:
"That about 30 per cent of the milch cows in
England are tuberculous, and that consequently
infants and persons suffering dangerous illness
are in many cases being fed milk containing the
organisms of tuberculosis" [NRO 3897/3, 1906
p.21]
The problem of infected animal products is
clearly recognised by medical and sanitary
officials early on in the 20th century but
little is done to tackle the situation head on
and so abdominal tuberculosis continues to be a
significant problem. Three years later in 1909
the MoH expresses his frustration at the
situation and lack of power to change it:
"The elimination of tuberculosis from dairy
herds is a matter of great difficulty since, at
present, no assistance is given, by the state,
to the farmer who, for the benefit of the
general public as well as for his own advantage,
may wish to obtain a herd free from this
disease." [NRO 3897/3, 1909 p.33]
It is not until the 1940s that significant steps
were taken to introduce tuberculin tested milk
and encourage pasteurization.
"The eradication of tuberculosis from our milk
supplies is a matter of greatest importance to
us all, and it is encouraging to note the marked
increase in the production of milk from
tuberculin tested cows. 45% of all the milk
produced in the County was from such herds, and
it is known that in 1948 the proportion had
risen to more than 50%." [NRO 4081/1, 1947 p.8]
Milk supplies were something given great
consideration by those responsible for the
establishment of Stannington Sanatorium from the
outset. In 1905, two years before the official
opening of the sanatorium, a farm colony was
established on the site to take in young boys
and provide them with training. It was from here
that the sanatorium was able to receive a safe
supply of milk from tuberculin tested cows.
Tuberculin testing is another method used in
preventing the spread of bovine TB whereby the
cows were tested to see whether they carried
mycobacterium bovis rather than treating the
milk itself. This method was used quite commonly
early on before the onset of widespread
pasteurisation and would have been essential to
the recovery of many of the patients and in
preventing any of them acquiring any further
infection. As time goes on, and tuberculin
testing and pasteurisation is implemented more
widely across the county, it is notable when
looking at the patient files that instances of
abdominal TB decrease particularly as we enter
the 1950s.
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