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271 [1906
The amount of adulteration detected rose among Sunday milks from 6.2
per cent. in 1905 to 11.3; among weekday milks from 9.0 per cent., to 15.4;
while among railway milks it fell from 3.3 per cent. to 1.8.
The increase of adulteration compared with the preceding year has been
due to vendors adulterating their milks to a more limited, although a more
frequent, extent than formerly, and among the returns from the Public
Analyst, it will be noticed that 18 milks contained added water to the extent
of 6 per cent. and under. Thus 3 samples contained less than 3 per cent.
of water, 15 contained between 3 and 5 per cent., and 7 contained between 5
and 6 per cent. This practice is increasing and it is doubtless due to the fact
that magistrates will not, except in very special cases, grant summonses for
less than 6 per cent. Vendors know this, and, therefore, some of them push
their adulteration to the limit of safety. It is a practice that should be put
down rigorously, because it must not be forgotten that this percentage is based
on a low standard of quality, and, therefore, these small percentages really
represent larger amounts of adulteration than the Analyst's figures indicate. It
is very certain that the milk purveyors would not accept from the farmers milk
of the quality of these 25 milks which contained under 6 per cent. of water, and
it is equally certain, if such a supply arrived at a railway station in Islington,
that they would quickly apply to the Medical Officer of Health to have samples
of it analysed.
The quantity of water added to milk is calculated from the amount of
non-fatty solids which it contains, and, therefore, a comparison of the analyses
of the milks procured on Sundays and weekdays with those obtained at the
railway stations as they arrive from the farmers is of interest, and proves that
the milk is not sold in the same state as it is received.