Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]
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Table B shows the number of samples taken under the Act with the
percentage of adulteration, and also the total number of samples examined
during the past ten years.
Table B.
Year. | Samples taken under the Act. | Number Adulterated. | Percentage Adulterated. | Bact. Examinations. | Miscellaneous Samples. | Total Samples. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1929 | 1,537 | 63 | 4.1 | - | 72 | 1,609 |
1930 | 1,518 | 35 | 2.3 | 1 | 83 | 1,602 |
1931 | 1,488 | 43 | 2.9 | 46 | 173 | 1,707 |
1932 | 1,546 | 48 | 31 | 38 | 185 | 1,769 |
1933 | 1,513 | 37 | 2.4 | 20 | 112 | 1,645 |
1934 | 1,614 | 74 | 4.6 | — | 111 | 1,725 |
1935 | 1,630 | 139 | 8.5 | — | 109 | 1,739 |
1936 | 1,575 | 125 | 7.9 | — | 241 | 1,816 |
1937 | 1,544 | 134 | 8.7 | — | 162 | 1,706 |
1938 | 1,586 | 107 | 6.7 | — | 152 | 1,738 |
Of the samples taken under the Act 1,459 consisted of foods and of these
90, or 6.2 per cent., were adulterated ; of the remaining 127 samples consisting
of drugs 17, or 13.4 per cent., were adulterated.
Adulterated. | Other offences. | Total. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Formal | Proceedings | 27 | 10 | 37 |
Caution | 20 | — | 20 | |
No action | 2 | — | 2 | |
Informal | 58 | — | 58 | |
107 | 10 | 117 |
Fines and costs totalled £156 17s. 6d.
Milk .—886 samples of milk were analysed. Of these 13, or 1.5 per cent.,
were adulterated. Only 3 of the adulterated samples were watered.
Table C shows the number of samples of milk examined and the percentages
of adulteration during the last ten years.
Table C.
1929. | 1930. | 1931. | 1932. | 1933 | 1934. | 1935. | 1936. | 1937. | 1938. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of samples. | 923 | 900 | 881 | 974 | 928 | 1005 | 965 | 984 | 890 | 886 |
Percentage of adulteration. | 8.9 | 22 | 3.0 | 26 | 22 | 4.6 | 7.7 | 8.6 | 7.5 | 1.5 |
The year shows a great decrease in the percentage of adulteration.
This is the result of the successful use of the freezing point method in the
previous year.