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
Finsbury 1905
Report on the public health of Finsbury 1905 including annual report on factories and workshops
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The percentages of adulteration for every five years since 1877 for England and Wales may also be added for comparative purposes.
| No. of Samples in 1904. | Percentage of Adulteration in | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examined | Found Adulterated | 1904. | 1903. | 1902. | Quinquennium. | |||||
| 1897-01. | 1892-96. | 1887-91. | 1882-86 | 1877-81. | ||||||
| 36,413 | 4,031 | 11.1 | 10.4 | 11.6 | 10.6 | 12.3 | 13.2 | 167 | 21.1 | |
An examination of the table of results of analysis will
show that much the most common adulteration is that of added
water. It is, of course, the easiest to manage, and appears to the
offender a less formidable undertaking than absolutely "tampering"
with the milk.
SALE OF FOOD & DRUGS ACTS.
Under the Bye-laws of the Borough Council, each Sanitary
Inspector acts, in his own sanitary district, as an Inspector under
the above Acts. During the year 1905 the Inspectors collected 620
samples of which 73 (or 11.8 per cent.) were adulterated. There
were 22 prosecutions under the Acts, the aggregate amount of fines
and costs inflicted being £45 10s. 0d. In 1904, 11.9 per cent, of
the samples were found to be adulterated, and there were 29
prosecutions.
The samples collected were as follows:—