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
Stepney 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]
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69
The yearly averages are given in the following table:—
Table G.
| Year. | Fat per cent. | Solids not-fat per cent. | Total Solids per cent. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | 3.69 | 8.71 | 12.40 |
| 1923 | 3.75 | 8.74 | 12.49 |
| 1924 | 3.68 | 8.70 | 12.38 |
| 1925 | 3.64 | 8.72 | 12.36 |
| 1926 | 3.71 | 8.71 | 12.42 |
| 1927 | 3.68 | 8.67 | 12.35 |
| 1928 | 3.67 | 8.65 | 12.32 |
| 1929 | 3.62 | 8.65 | 12.27 |
| 1930 | 3.65 | 8.70 | 12.35 |
| 1931 | 3.69 | 8.69 | 12.38 |
The following figures have been obtained from recent Annual Reports:—
Table H.
| No. of samples. | Fat per cent. | Sclids-not fat per cent. | Total Solids per cent. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 2,408 | 3.62 | 8.86 | 12.48 |
| Salford | 1,106 | 3.57 | 8.92 | 12.49 |
| Hull | 652 | 3.66 | 8.82 | 12.48 |
| Lancashire | 3,052 | 3.78 | 8.90 | 12.68 |
| Portsmouth | 606 | 3.66 | 8.87 | 12.53 |
| Kensington | 334 | 3.60 | 8.81 | 12.41 |
| Stepney, 1931 | 895 | 3.69 | 8.69 | 12.38 |
During the year 24 samples have been reported as "Poor quality, slightly
deficient in solids-not-fat." In every case a letter has been sent by the
Medical Officer of Health to the vendor asking for an explanation of the
deficiency. In certain cases wholesalers stated that they did not tamper
with the milk supply and produced certificates of analysis to show that the
milk was genuine. Most of these analyses showed a content of solids-not-fat
equivalent to, or little in excess of 8.5 per cent., which is the minimum limit
required by the Regulations. The Medical Officer of Health requested the
Paddington authorities to take samples at the station of the milk supplied to
these wholesalers and 12 samples were taken.
The calculated composition of the milk supplied to one wholesaler was :—
Fat 3.91 per cent; Solids-not fat 8.92 per cent. Similarly the composition
of the milk supplied to another wholesaler was:—Fat 3.57 per cent.; Solidsnot-fat
8.80 per cent.