London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Islington 1911

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Metropolitan Borough of]

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313 1911
A considerable difference was as usual noticeable in the percentages of
adulteration of milk sold on Sunday, on a week-day, and procured in transit
at the railway stations.
Sunday Milks.—160 samples were purchased on Sundays, of which 11,
or 6'9 per cent., were adulterated. This compares with 8'7 per cent, in 1910;
8.8 per cent. in 1909, and 74 per cent. in 1908.
Week-day Milks.—320 samples were submittd to the Public Analyst, of
which 43, or 13.4 per cent., were certified to be adulterated. This percentage
compared with 13T per cent. in 1910; with 6.7 in 1909 with 10.2 in 1908,
and 8.2 in 1907.
It will be noticed that the percentage of these milks which were adulterated
was almost double that of the Sunday milks. Now this is a very
extraordinary fact for at one time the figures were entirely reversed, the
greatest amount of adulteration being practised on Sundays. Owing, however,
to the knowledge that samples are taken nearly every Sunday, the
vendors of milk have been more careful, and consequently they prefer to run
the risk of being detected during the week-days.
Farmers' Milk.—121 samples were procured at the railway stations in
transit, and of these only 5, or 4T per cent., were adulterated.
There is no doubt that the English farmers, as pointed out last year, are
honest men, and only very rarely adulterate their milk.

They are to be seen in the following Table:—

Obtained.No of Samples Analysed.Average Percentage of Fat.Average Percentage of Solids, not Fat.Average Percentage of Total Solids.
On Sundays1603.638.5712.20
On Week-days3203.658.5412.19
At Railway Stations1213.928.7112.63
Official Minimum Standard3.008.5011.50

From this Table we see that the fat content of the farmers' milk was
3.92 per cent., while that of the milk purchased on Sundays and on week-days
was respectively 3.63 and 3.65 per cent.