London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Battersea 1911
[Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1911]
This page requires JavaScript
85
Sale of Food and Drugs Acts.
The object of these Acts is two-fold in character; (a) to protect
the honest trader from fraudulent competition and (b) to safeguard
the public from fraud, imposition and danger to health in
regard to food and drugs.
During 1911, 1,000 samples were purchased within the Borough
of Battersea and submitted to the Public Analyst for analysis.
Of these, 1,000 samples 99 (i.e. 9-9 per cent.) were reported by
the analyst to be adulterated, and in addition 37 samples were
reported by him to be inferior.
The following table gives the details of the number of samples purchased during the year, and the number found to be genuine or otherwise:-
| Description of Article. | Total No.of Sam[ples taken. | Genuine. | Adulterated. | Inferior. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowroot | 5 | 5 | ||
| Bread | 9 | 9 | — | |
| Butter | 181 | 142 | 9 | 30 |
| Cheese | 6 | 4 | 1 | |
| Cocoa | 11 | 7 | — | 4 |
| Coffee | 13 | 12 | 1 | — |
| Cream | 10 | 2 | 8 | — |
| Flour | 5 | 5 | — | — |
| Gin | 2 | 2 | — | — |
| Honey | 5 | 5 | — | |
| Lard | 20 | 20 | — | — |
| Margarine | 8 | 8 | — | — |
| Meat (preserved) | 20 | 18 | 2 | — |
| Milk | 635 | 567 | 68 | — |
| Mustard | 5 | 5 | — | — |
| Oatmeal | 4 | 4 | — | — |
| Olive Oil | 5 | 5 | — | — |
| Pepper | 4 | 4 | — | — |
| Rice | 5 | 3 | 2 | — |
| Rum | 2 | 2 | — | — |
| Sausages | 27 | 23 | 4 | — |
| Vinegar | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| Whisky | 6 | 4 | 2 | — |
| Totals | 1,000 | 864 | 99 | 37 |