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
Deptford 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Deptford, Metropolitan Borough of]
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50
IV. Food Sampling.
In addition to the usual routine procedure by which food samples
are obtained, sampling of milk is also carried out at the South-Eastern
Hospital and at the public elementary schools in the Borough. In the
case of hospital samples, the chemical content and bacterial count are
ascertained, while the school supplies are investigated for the presence
of tubercle and for chemical content. Occasional examination for
tubercle is also made of milk coming direct to one of the railway
stations.
Frequency of Sampling.—A total of 500 samples, formal and
informal, were taken during the year, equivalent to 5 samples per
1,000 of the population.
The following is a statement of the sampling done and results obtained in 1933:—
| Total. | Number Adulterated. | Percentage of samples adulterated. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formal samples | 380 | 3 | 0.8 % |
| Informal samples | 120 | 4 | 3.3 % |
| Total | 500 | 7 | 1.4 % |
The adulteration in respect of samples submitted for analysis during the previous seven years is as follows:—
| Year. | Number of Samples taken. | Percentage Adulterated. |
|---|---|---|
| 1926 | 552 | 1.3 |
| 1927 | 601 | 1.5 |
| 1928 | 604 | 1.8 |
| 1929 | 590 | 1.8 |
| 1930 | 550 | 3.5 |
| 1931 | 507 | 2.6 |
| 1932 | 500 | 1.4 |
I he following is a statement of the samples purchased and submitted
for analysis during 1933.