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
Shoreditch 1923
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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The subjoined table gives a comparison of the results of the work under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts for the years 1902.1923 inclusive:—
| Year. | Number of Samples. | Number of persons in the Borough to each Sample. | Number of Samples adulterated. | Percentage of Samples adulterated. | Number of prosecutions instituted. | Summonses withdrawn on account of warranties. | Prosecutions proceeded with. | Number of successful prosecutions. | Fines and Costs. | Amount paid to Public Analyst. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s. | d. | s. | d. | |||||||||||
| 1902 | 281 | 420 | 71 | 25.3 | 54 | 2 | 52 | 48 | 117 | 9 | 0 | 140 | 10 | 0 |
| 1903 | 707 | 166 | 112 | 15.8 | 60 | 5 | 55 | 51 | 173 | 11 | 6 | 353 | 10 | 0 |
| 1904 | 612 | 189 | 110 | 17.9 | 56 | 6 | 50 | 46 | 128 | 5 | 0 | 306 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905 | 536 | 215 | 98 | 18.2 | 57 | 2 | 51 | 47 | 233 | 18 | 0 | 267 | 0 | 0 |
| 1906 | 520 | 224 | 122 | 23.4 | 44 | 2 | 42 | 34 | 106 | 12 | 6 | 260 | 0 | 0 |
| 1907 | 519 | 223 | 99 | 19.0 | 36 | 4 | 32 | 27 | 67 | 14 | 0 | 259 | 10 | 0 |
| 1908 | 580 | 200 | 92 | 15.8 | 45 | ... | 45 | 39 | 117 | 10 | 0 | 290 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909 | 570 | 200 | 92 | 16.1 | 76 | 2 | 74 | 69 | 255 | 18 | 6 | 276 | 5 | 0 |
| 1910 | 578 | 200 | 133 | 23.0 | 65 | ... | 60 | 49 | 93 | 17 | 6 | 279 | 5 | 0 |
| 1911 | 577 | 200 | 149 | 25.8 | 64 | ... | 62 | 58 | 180 | 0 | 6 | 278 | 17 | 6 |
| 1912 | 584 | 190 | 100 | 17.1 | 48 | 1 | 48 | 45 | 172 | 11 | 0 | 281 | 10 | 0 |
| 1913 | 768 | 144 | 132 | 17.1 | 47 | ... | 47 | 42 | 94 | 2 | 6 | 350 | 10 | 0 |
| 1914 | 768 | 143 | 132 | 17.1 | 36 | ... | 36 | 21 | 74 | 6 | 0 | 350 | 10 | 0 |
| 1915 | 768 | 135 | 130 | 17.8 | 43 | ... | 43 | 30 | 63 | 16 | 0 | 350 | 10 | 0 |
| 1916 | 768 | 130 | 144 | 18.7 | 50 | ... | 49 | 36 | 134 | 18 | 0 | 350 | 10 | 0 |
| 1917 | 770 | 129 | 154 | 20.0 | 65 | ... | 65 | 41 | 99 | 12 | 0 | 351 | 5 | 0 |
| 1918 | 724 | 134 | 137 | 17.5 | 54 | 1 | 53 | 37 | 284 | 13 | 0 | 340 | 12 | 6 |
| 1919 | 632 | 155 | 72 | 11.3 | 32 | 1 | 31 | 17 | 137 | 3 | 0 | 316 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920 | 934 | 109 | 69 | 7.4 | 25 | 1 | 24 | 14 | 38 | 3 | 6 | 700 | 10 | 0 |
| 1921 | 1077 | 98 | 58 | 5.4 | 25 | ... | 25 | 20 | 94 | 14 | 0 | 807 | 15 | 0 |
| 1922 | 1068 | 97 | 58 | 5.4 | 20 | ... | 20 | 14 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 700 | 15 | 0 |
| 1923 | 1049 | 101 | 51 | 4.9 | 19 | ... | 19 | 10 | 24 | 18 | 6 | 655 | 12 | 6 |
The percentage of samples found adulterated was markedly below the average
for recent years.
With reference to the convictions in 1923, in 2 instances the defendants had
been previously convicted twice, and in 1 instance once. The remaining 6 were
first convictions under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts.
COOKSHOPS AND EATING.HOUSES.
Including the kitchens of public.houses where food is prepared for customers,
152 were under inspection during the year and some 581 visits were made in connection
with them. The sanitary notices served numbered 97, including 63 which
were mainly for general cleansing, 12 for defective drains and w.c.s, 10 for defective
roofs, and 6 for defective dust receptacles.