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
Hackney 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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91
There were thus ten prosecutions instituted during the year,
resulting in the payment of £38 9s. Od. in fines and costs.
The average composition of the formal milk samples taken in 1933 is shown in the following table in order that a comparison may be made with the standard of genuineness accepted by the Ministry of Agriculture, namely, 3.0 per cent. milk fat and 8.5 per cent. solids not fat:—
| Months. | Number of Formal Samples taken. | Average Composition of all Samples. | Average Composition of Genuine Samples. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of Milk Fat. | Percentage of Solids not Fat. | Percentage of Milk Fat. | Percentage of Solids not Fat. | ||
| January | 36 | 3.69 | 8.73 | 3.73 | 8.75 |
| February | 48 | 3.50 | 8.83 | 3.50 | 8.83 |
| March | 48 | 3.40 | 8.86 | 3.41 | 8.87 |
| April | 56 | 3.36 | 8.90 | 3.39 | 8.91 |
| May | 72 | 3.37 | 9.05 | 3.38 | 9.04 |
| June | 60 | 3.38 | 9.04 | 3.40 | 9.03 |
| July | 48 | 3.48 | 8.97 | 3.50 | 8.97 |
| August | 52 | 3.36 | 8.90 | 3.43 | 8.93 |
| September | 48 | 3.53 | 8.88 | 3.54 | 8.89 |
| October | 35 | 3.76 | 9.10 | 3.79 | 9.11 |
| November | 51 | 3.70 | 9.07 | 3.70 | 9.07 |
| December | 18 | 3.59 | 8.88 | 3.59 | 8.88 |
| Average | 3.51 | 8.93 | 3.53 | 8.94 | |
It will be seen that the average fat content of the samples
taken in the Borough exceeded the Ministry of Agriculture standard
by no less than 0.5 per cent., notwithstanding the fact that 20 of
the samples taken were adulterated.
Under the Milk and Dairies (Consolidation) Act, 1915, a
purveyor of milk from whom a sample has been taken for analysis
may, within 60 hours after the sample of milk was procured, if he
proposes to establish a warranty defence, request the local authority
to take a sample from a corresponding milking in the course of
transit or delivery to his premises. During 1933 requests for the
taking of samples in course of transit or delivery were received in
eleven instances. In ten of these the original samples were reported
to be of genuine composition and in the eleventh case the percentage
of adulteration was very small. It was not necessary, therefore, to
secure samples from the wholesalers in response to these eleven
applications.
Following upon the routine sampling of milk in course of
delivery to retailers in the Borough, three requests were received
during the year for the taking of samples at farms. In one instance