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
Lewisham 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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Adulterated Samples
Table 21
| Article | Formal or informal | Adulteration or irregularity | Action taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking powder | Informal | Available carbon dioxide deficient 50% | Formal sample taken. Found to be genuine. |
| Mixed herbs | Formal | Siliceous matter 14.5% | Vendor cautioned and stock withdrawn from sale and destroyed. |
| Liqueur ginger wine | Formal | Proof spirit deficient 2.5 degrees. | Legal proceedings instituted. Case dismissed under Probation of Offenders Act on payment of£7s. 0d. costs. |
| Seidlitz powder | Informal | Tartaric acid content of white paper 0.07 grammes. | Remainder of stock withdrawn from sale. |
| Fruit drink | Informal | Cresylic acids 1.1 parts per million. | Source of acid could not be traced. |
| Sausage meat | Informal | Sulphur dioxide 170 parts per million. | It was established that preservative notices were duly exhibited. |
| Apple | informal | Arsenic 3/100ths grain per pound. | Apples as far as could be traced were washed. Subsequent samples proved that apples were free from arsenic in appreciable quantities. |
Unsound food
A considerable amount of food was surrendered as unfit for human
consumption. In all, approximately 25 tons 12 cwts. of foodstuffs was
dealt with by the Council's food inspectors, consisting mainly of meat,
fruit pulp, fish, etc.
In co-operation with the Salvage Division of the Ministry of Food,
in order to prevent wastage where possible, most of this unsound food
was forwarded to the appropriate authorities for reconditioning or
animal feeding.
Meat inspection
A report on meat inspection in the following form is included in
the annual report to comply with the provisions of Ministry of Health
circular 3/49.