London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Battersea 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough.
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Seventy-three samples of ordinary milk were reported as genuine and their average composition was as follows:-
| Milk fat | 3.67 per cent. | ||
| Non-fatty solids | 8.78 „ | ||
| Total milk solids | 12.45 „ |
Their content of milk fat ranged as follows:-
| 4 per cent, and over | 2 samples or 2.7 per cent. |
| Between 3.9 and 4.0 per cent. | 2 „ „ 2.7 „ |
| „ 3.8 „ 3.9 „ | 9 „ „ 12.3 „ |
| „ 3.7 „ 3.8 „ | 11 „ „ 15.1 „ |
| „ 3.6 „ 3.7 „ | 10 „ „ 13.7 „ |
| „ 3.5 „ 3.6 „ | 9 „ „ 12.3 „ |
| „ 3.4 „ 3.5 „ | 14 „ „ 19.3 „ |
| „ 3.3 „ 3.4 „ | 9 „ „ 12.3 „ |
| „ 3.2 „ 3.3 „ | |
| „ 3.1 „ 3.2 „ | 1 sample „ 1.4 „ |
| „ 3.0 „ 3.1„ | - „ - „ - „ |
| 73 100.0 |
The remaining 6 samples (of ordinary milk) were reported to be
deficient in milk fat to the extent of between 4 per cent, and 20 per
cent. Further information concerning these samples is given on page 39.
In the five years 1949-53 and in 1954 the percentage of adulterated samples of milk was as under:-
| Year | Samples taken | Adulterated | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Percentage | ||
| 1949 | 421 | 10 | 2.4 |
| 1950 | 462 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 1951 | 428 | 1 | 0.2 |
| 1952 | 101 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 1953 | 100 | 1 | 1.0 |
| 302 | 2 | 0.7 | |
| 1954 | 100 | 6* | 6.0 |
* For particulars of these adulterated samples see page 39.