London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1923
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
This page requires JavaScript
44
(2) A sample of hot milk was certified by the Public Analyst to contain 5 per
cent. of added water. The vendor was cautioned and submitted the explanation
that it was usual to serve hot milk from a special urn kept for the purpose, but
when this was emptied it was the practice to pass live steam from a jet attached to
the water boiling apparatus through a glass of cold milk until it had been sufficiently
heated. Presumably it did not occur to the vendor that the steam which condensed
in the milk would be equivalent to added water.
EXAMINATION OF MILK.—CHEMICAL AND BACTERIOLOGICAL AND
AS TO PRESENCE OF DIRT.
(A) CHEMICAL.—The percentage of milk adulteration for both formal and
informal samples together is 7.5 as compared with 5.4 for 1922. Of the 19 adulterated
samples 3 were informal and 16 formal samples. There were seven prosecutions.
The following summary is of interest as it shows the percentage of fat contained
in each of the 252 milks examined. Eleven out of this number contained fat in
amount below the point which presumes adulteration, i.e., 3 per cent. The highest
proportion of fat was 6.2 per cent.:—
TABLE SHOWING PERCENTAGE OF FAT IN ALL MILK SAMPLES.
| Percentage of Fat. | No. of Samples. | Percentage of Fat. | No. of Samples. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4 | l | 4.4 | 2 |
| 2.5 | l | 4.5 | 5 |
| 2.6 | 2 | 4.6 | 1 |
| 2.7 | 2 | 4.7 | 1 |
| 2.8 | 2 | 4.8 | 2 |
| 2.9 | 3 | 4.9 | - |
| 3.0 | 5 | 5.0 | - |
| 3.1 | 15 | 5.1 | - |
| 3.2 | 17 | 5.2 | 1 |
| 3.3 | 19 | 5.3 | - |
| 3.4 | 30 | 5.4 | 1 |
| 3.5 | 35 | 5.5 | 2 |
| 3.6 | 31 | 5.6 | - |
| 3.7 | 23 | 5.7 | 1 |
| 3.8 | 17 | 5.8 | - |
| 3.9 | 8 | 5.9 | - |
| 4.0 | 7 | 6.0 | - |
| 4.1 | 8 | 6.1 | - |
| 4.2 | 8 | 6.2 | 1 |
| 4.3 | 1 | ||
| Total | 252 |
(B) BACTERIOLOGICAL AND AS TO PRESENCE OF DIRT.—During
the month of October, 42 samples of milk were obtained and submitted to Sir
Frederick Andrewes, F.R.S., City Bacteriologist, for bacteriological examination
and investigation as to the presence of "dirt." These samples arrived from 42
different farms, viz.:—15 in Norfolk, 15 in Essex, 10 in Suffolk and 2 in Cambridgeshire.
In three instances the investigation was not completed, which leaves 39 samples
as the total on which statistics are based.
Of these 39 samples only one proved to be tuberculous. The percentage was
accordingly 26 as compared with 9.5 in 1922.
All the samples were examined for the presence of dirt, and 28, or 66.6 per
cent., were reported upon as clean, but it is satisfactory to note that of the remainder
none were really dirty.