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293
[1909
INSPECTOR BURRELL'S REPORT.
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Islington, N.
12th February, 1910.
To the Medical Officer of Health
Dear Sir,
In accordance with your instructions I have pleasure in submitting for your consideration
the following report and summary of the sample testing work for the year ended December 31st,
1909. As in the preceding year, this work has proved of the highest value in the detection of cases
of systematic fraud, but so many have been the calls upon my time in consequence of the great
increase in the number of prosecutions, that I have found it necessary, rather than the work should
remain in abeyance, to carry out the testing of the major portion of the samples after office hours.
A total of 471 samples were tested and examined, of which number 287 were genuine, 96 were
sold with a printed or verbal declaration, while 88 or 18 7 per cent. of the whole were adulterated.
Of the latter, 45 duplicate samples were purchased and submitted to the Public Analyst in the
usual manner, when he reported against 39 for prosecution.
It will be observed that there is a considerable discrepancy between the number of preliminary
adulterated samples and those purchased for submission to the Public Analyst, but the explanation
lies in the fact that it was necessary in several instances for the agent to become a regular customer
at the shop suspected before it was possible to secure an official sample that would expose the fraud
in practice. The preliminary samples thus purchased and found to be adulterated were included in
the total, together with several milk samples which, while being below the standard, were not low
enough for prosecution.
The prosecutions arisiag directly from the preliminary testing work numbered 39 ; the amount of
fines and costs with reference to same totalling £100 15s. 6d.

Note.—With the adulterated milk samples are included those samples which, while being
below the standard, were not low enough for prosecution.