View report page

1906] 280
The following letter was also received from the Assistant Secretary to the
Local Government Board:—
Local Government Board,
Whitehall, S.W.
August 17th, 1906.
Sir,
I am directed by the Local Government Board to advert to your letter of the 27th
ultimo, and its enclosures, with reference to the question of the addition of preservatives
to milk.
In reply, I am to state for the information of the Borough Council of Islington, that
consideration such as those advanced in the reports of the Council's Medical Officer of
Health and Public Analyst had already been taken into account by the Board in preparing
their Circular on the 11th ultimo, on " Preservatives in Milk."
The Board observe that the Quarterly Reports during the past four years of the Public
Analyst for Islington do not give any indication of the presence, absence, nature or amount
of added preservatives, in any sample of milk submitted for analysis during that period;
and the Board suggest that it would be of advantage, in the interest of the health of the
Borough, that steps should now be taken as advised in their circular, to ascertain the condition
of milk sold in Islington in regard to preservatives, and that administrative action on
the line suggested in the Circular should be taken in cases where preservatives are reported.
If in actual practice difficulty is found to arise in following the lines of action indicated
by the Board, they will be glad to hear further from the Borough Council in the matter.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
JOHN LITHIBY,
Assistant Secretary.
This letter was also submitted to the Public Analyst and the Medical
Officer of Health, who made the following observations thereon:—
Chemical Laboratory,
9, Mincing Lane, E.C.
November 17th, 1906.
W. F. Dewey, Esq.,
Town Clerk,
Islington.
Dear Mr. Dewey,
PRESERVATIVES IN MILK.
(Letter of Local Government Board of 17th August, 1906.)
I have carefully perused the letter from the Local Government Board forwarded to
me for comment, dated 17th August, 1906, and headed "89608. W. 1906."
In writing my comments on the Local Government Board Circular of July 11th, my
object was to bring to the notice of the Borough Council what I considered to be the law
by which I was bound as a Public Analyst, and I quoted, among other extracts from the