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
Poplar 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Poplar, Metropolitan Borough]
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80
Public Analyst's Annual Report.
During the year 1933, 799 samples were examined under the Food
and Drugs (Adulteration) Act, all of which were submitted by the
Inspectors. No samples under the Act were submitted by the Public.
141 samples were purchased informally.
36 samples were found to be adulterated, 30 formal and 6 informal.
In addition, 57 other samples were of doubtful purity or inferior quality.
The adulteration was at the rate of 4.5 per cent., as compared with
2.7 per cent. for the whole of London and 5.1 per cent. for the whole of
England and Wales in 1932.
The rate of adulteration in the Borough for the past ten years was as follows:—
| Year. | No. of samples examined. | Percentage of adulteration. |
|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 799 | 4.6 |
| 1932 | 818 | 4.0 |
| 1931 | 801 | 7.6 |
| 1930 | 807 | 6.7 |
| 1929 | 801 | 8.7 |
| 1928 | 807 | 11.0 |
| 1927 | 793 | 10.1 |
| 1926 | 812 | 9.0 |
| 1925 | 811 | 8.0 |
| 1924 | 764 | 3.7 |
| Average | 801 | 7.3 |
The adulteration is much lower than the average of previous years.
The number of samples examined was at the rate of 5.2 per 1,000 of
the population, as compared with 10.0 per 1,000 for the whole of London,
and 3.4 per 1,ooo for the whole of England and Wales in 1932.
382 samples of milk were examined, of which 15, or 3.9 per cent.,
were found to be adulterated, and 41 samples were reported as of poor
quality.