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 1935
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Deptford, Metropolitan Borough of]
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In any case where a particular food appears to be definitely incriminated,
bacteriological and chemical examination of the food, and
serological examination of the patient's blood, excreta, etc., are carried
out and the results communicated to the Ministry.
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, the Babies' Hospital, the Maternity Home, 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 and chemical
content is also made of milk coming direct to one of the railway
stations.
Frequency of Sampling.—A total of 536 samples, formal and
informal, were taken during the year, equivalent to 5 samples pet
1,000 of the population.
The following is a statement of the sampling done and results obtained in 1935:—
| Total. | Number Adulterated. | Percentage of samples adulterated. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formal samples | 248 | 9 | 3.6 % |
| Informal samples | 288 | 29 | 10.1 % |
| Total | 536 | 38 | 7.1 % |
The adulteration in respect of samples submitted for analysis during the previous seven years is as follows:—
| Year. | Number of Samples taken. | Percentage Adulterated. |
|---|---|---|
| 1928 | 604 | 1.8 |
| 1929 | 590 | 1.8 |
| 1930 | 550 | 3.5 |
| 1931 | 507 | 2.6 |
| 1932 | 500 | 1.4 |
| 1933 | 500 | 1.4 |
| 1934 | 500 | 2.8 |
The following is a statement of the samples purchased and submitted
for analysis during 1935.