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1905]
244
but owing to the regular and systematic inspection during the last 10 years on
Sundays, adulteration has fallen on this day from 17.8 per cent/in 1895 to 62
per cent, in 1905.
The Borough Council of Southwark have called your attention to the
desirability of taking an adequate number of samples on Sunday.
From their communication it appears that during the last three years
they have been procuring samples of milk on Sundays, with the result that they
have discovered that whereas the percentage of all adulterated samples during
these years, 1903, 1904, 1905 has been 14.20 per cent., that for the Sunday
samples has been 20.82 per cent.
The sampling of milks on Sundays, as shown by reports on the
subject, has been practised in Islington for nearly eleven years. It was begun
in 1895 and has been carried on ever since with the most gratifying, and during
the last two years, astonishing results: In 1895 (174 samples were taken), the
percentage of adulteration was 17.8 as against 16.3 on other days, and in 1904
(164 samples were taken) it was only 3.6, while in 1905 the percentage
was 6'2.
In only four years (1895-6-8-9) out of the 10 years and 9 months has the
percentage of adulteration on Sundays been above that of the week days.
This circumstance is to be ascribed to the fact that the vigilance of the
Public Health Department has not been relaxed, but rather increased on
Sundays, for more than one-third (actually 347 per cent.) of the samples procured
were obtained on that day, when the proper proportion would have been
143 per cent.
Islington may well be proud of the result of its action; which one is
surprised to think, judging by the communication from Southwark, has not
been the general practice throughout the Metropolis.
With respect to the milks examined at the Railway Stations, it should be
stated that, while in each of the first two quarters of the year, 3 samples were
found to be adulterated, out of 29 and 24 examined, in the 3rd and 4th quarters
no adulteration was detected.
This was possibly due to the fact that, in the former periods, special
attention was given to certain farmers' milks, as to the quality of which the
consignee had complained.