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
Battersea 1908
Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1908
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The next table shows the percentage of adulteration during the years 1900 to 1908: —
| Year. | No. of Samples taken. | Adulterated. | Percentage of Adulteration. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 514 | 46 | 8.9 |
| 1901 | 474 | 35 | 7.4 |
| 1902 | 500 | 52 | 10.4 |
| 1903 | 500 | 67 | 13.4 |
| 1904* | 700 | 107 | 153.3 |
| 1905 | 700 | 90 | 12.8 |
| 1906 | 925 | 129 | 13.9 |
| 1907 | 1,000 | 105 | 10.5 |
| 1908 | 1,000 | 115 | 11.5 |
* Since 1904 a new system has been adopted, a special inspector being
appointed to carry out the duties under the Sale of Food and Drugs
Act, instead of, as formerly, several of the district inspectors doing
this work.
It will be noted that the percentage of adulteration (11.5) is
slightly higher than in 1907, which was the lowest recorded since
1902. This is probably to be accounted for by the increased activity
displayed by the Council in the administration of the Sale of Food
and Drugs Acts during the past six or seven years. There can be
little doubt that the steady increase in the number of samples taken
under the instructions of the Council has been followed by a satisfactory
decrease in the amount of adulteration carried on by dishonest
traders in the Borough. During the last three years the
number of samples taken has amounted to 1,000 annually, and the
lesson to be learned from the results of the analysis of this increase
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