London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

City of London 1909

Annual report of Medical Officer of Health for 1909

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Table: The figures for 1909 and eight previous years are given hereunder:—

The figures for 1909 and eight previous years are given hereunder:—

Year.No. of samples taken.No. of samples found Genuine.No. of Samples found Adulterated.Percentage of Adulterated Samples.
1901241226156.2
190229929272.34
19033683671.27
1904442429132.94
190535435041.14
1906328311175.18
1907411398133.16
190838137651.30
190945745251.09

Table: For the last seven years special attention has been paid to the character of the butter sold at coffee-houses, when served upon slices of "bread and butter" and, as will be seen from the following table, the fraud of substituting margarine for butter has been almost stamped out:—

For the last seven years special attention has been paid to the character of the butter sold at coffee-houses, when served upon slices of "bread and butter" and, as will be seen from the following table, the fraud of substituting margarine for butter has been almost stamped out:—

Date.Samples taken.Cases of Substitution.Percentage Substituted Samples.
1903711926.7
19041011211.8
190516Nil.Nil.
1906871213.8
190718484.3
190811210.9
190911510.9

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Of 106 other samples supplied when a "roll and butter" was purchased,
four were found to be margarine.
In the five cases of adulteration reported during the year, one vendor was
cautioned, one fined 20s. and 17s. 6d. expenses, one 40s. and 12s. 6d. expenses,
one £5 and 17s. 6d. expenses, and one case was dismissed on payment of
£l 18s. 6d. expenses.
SALE OF MARGARINE BILL.
This was a private Bill, read a first time on the 10th March, 1909. It
was described as a Bill to provide for the further prevention of the fraudulent
sale of margarine, and it was stated in the preamble that it is expedient to
make provision for this purpose for the protection of the public, and to
prevent margarine being made or sold in such a form as to facilitate its
substitution for butter.
It was proposed to effect this object by making it unlawful to manufacture,
sell, or deal in margarine which, or any part of the constituent of which,
contains any colouring matter, or to use in the manufacture of margarine any
substance which has the effect of imparting any colour to margarine.