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
Lambeth 1906
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lambeth]
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Samples procured, together with the results of Analyses, during the year 1906.
| Samples. | Number Analysed. | Number Adulterated |
|---|---|---|
| *Milk | 962 | 63 |
| Butter | 215 | 6 |
| Cheese | – | – |
| Margarine | 3 | – |
| Wheaten Flour | 3 | – |
| Lard | 5 | – |
| Bread | 1 | – |
| Coffee | 70 | – |
| Mustard | 33 | – |
| Pepper | 51 | – |
| †Drugs | 25 | – |
| Tea | 3 | – |
| Ground Rice | 18 | – |
| Oatmeal | 17 | – |
| Olive Oil | 13 | – |
| Arrowroot | 9 | – |
| Pea Flour | 13 | – |
| Vinegar | 14 | – |
| Chocolate Powder | 15 | – |
| Beer | 11 | – |
| Whisky | 4 | – |
| Rum | 2 | – |
| Gin | 1 | – |
| Ground Almonds | 3 | – |
| Sugar | 6 | – |
| Tapioca | 3 | – |
| Totals | 1500 | 69 |
To be statistically correct, only those infants and children
should be tabulated who have been fed upon the Depot milk for
continuous periods of 13 weeks and over—a total of 41, of
whom 2 died from epidemic diarrhoea. This gives a mortality
rate of 48.8 per 1000. Including all infants and children who
were fed upon the Depot milk for consecutive periods extending
over four weeks—a total of 105, of whom 5 died, the mortality
rate per 1000 was 47.6 Even if all the infants and children
are included, irrespective of the varying periods during which
they were fed upon the Depot milk, the mortality rate is only
76. per 1000, and is much lower than those for the Borough of
Lambeth in general, and for Marsh Ward (where the Milk Depot
is situated) and part of Bishop's Ward in particular.
Particulars as to samples analysed, and proceedings taken, during 1900 (Borough), and during the ten years
1891-1900 (Parish).
| Year. | No. of Samples Analysed. | No. of Samples adulterated. | Percentage of Samples adulterated. | No. of Summonses issued. | No. of Convictions. | No. of Cautions. | Penalties. | Costs. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borough Council. | 1906 | 1500 | 69 | 4.6 | 38* | 35 | 12 | £ | s | d. | £ | s. | d. |
| 52 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||
| Late Vestry. * | 1900 | 608 | 73 | 12.1 | 57 | 52 | 10 | 104 | 10 | 0 | 42 | 6 | 6 |
| 1899 | (500 | 65 | 10.8 | 52 | 49 | 6 | 76 | 10 | 0 | 29 | 12 | 6 | |
| 1898 | 602 | 74 | 12.3 | 57 | 54 | 6 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1897 | 546 | 41 | 7.5 | 7 | 21 | 2 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1896 | 549 | 66 | 12.02 | 66 | 60 | 2 | 93 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 11 | 6 | |
| 1895 | 500 | 87 | 17.4 | 64 | 62 | 23 | 149 | 15 | 0 | 41 | 18 | 0 | |
| 1894 | 495 | 107 | 21.6 | 81 | 79 | 26 | 199 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1893 | 498 | 120 | 24.09 | 79 | 79 | 41 | 207 | 17 | 0 | 48 | 19 | 0 | |
| 1892 | 832 | 65 | 19.5 | 43 | 43 | 22 | 66 | 8 | 6 | 32 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1891 | 292 | 48 | 16.4 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 28 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 1 | 0 | |
| Average of 10 years 1891—1900. | 501.7 | 74.6 | 15.1 | 53.1 | 52.5 | 16.1 | 104 | 5 | 5 | 35 | 0 | 3 | |
Shewing percentage of different adulterated Samples during 1906 (Borcugh), and in ten years 1891-1900 (Parish).
| Year. | Milk. | Butter. | Coffee. | Bread and Flour. | Cocoa and Chocolate. | Cheese and Lard. | Other Groceries. | Sundries. | Spirits. | Brandy. | Gin. | Rum. | Whisky. | Ale and Porter. | Wines. | Aerated Waters. | Drugs. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boro' Council | 1906 | 6.5 | 28 | 0.0 | 0.0 | o.o | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | 0.0 | o.o | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | 0.0 | |
| Late Vestry. | 1900 | 14.2 | 11.0 | 17.8 | – | – | 0.0 | 3.5 | o.o | o.o | – | – | – | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – | 0.0 |
| 1899 | 10.9 | 14.5 | 6.9 | – | – | o.o | 2.7 | o.o | 21.4 | 33.3 | – | 0.0 | 20.0 | – | – | 0.0 | o.o | |
| 1898 | 13.6 | 145 | 10.3 | – | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11.1 | – | 0.0 | 50.0 | 5.9 | – | – | – | 18.8 | |
| 1897 | 10.5 | 7.3 | 3.03 | o.o | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 11.1 | 17.7 | – | 25.0 | 18.2 | o.o | – | – | – | 14.3 | |
| 1896 | 11.06 | 17.7 | 15.1 | 0.0 | o.o | – | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | o.o | 0.0 | 0.0 | o.o | – | – | 0.0 | 0.9 | |
| 1895 | 21.05 | 14.7 | 26.4 | – | o.o | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16.6 | 16.0 | – | 12.5 | 25.0 | – | – | 00 | 0.0 | 12.5 | |
| 1894 | 27.6 | 22.4 | 30.0 | – | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | o.o | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – | – | 0.0 | |
| 1893 | 30.4 | 35.04 | 11.1 | o.o | 18.2 | o.o | 3.3 | o.o | 8.7 | 20.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11.1 | – | – | – | 0.0 | |
| 1892 | 81.3 | 36.4 | 18.4 | – | 66.7 | 0.0 | 2.1 | o.o | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | o.o | – | 0.0 | – | – | 0.0 | |
| 1891 | 47.8 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 0.0 | – | – | 2.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | 0.0 | o.o | |
*Cancer and paralysis, 1; double rupture, 1; weak chest and spine, 2;
consumption of the bowels, 6 ; sickness and diarrhoea, 30; sickness and
constipation, 1; bronchitis, 3; jaundice, 1; sickness, 11; and indigestion, 1.