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19
There can be no question that at the present time new houses for tho
wage-earning and salaried classes are very much required as the congestion
of population all over London is most serious, but the financial outlook
for the new housing schemes is at present obscure.
Sale of Food and Drugs Acts.
Of the 400 samples taken for analysis in 1919, 108 were milk, 104 being
genuine, and 4 adulterated, equivalent to 3.7 per cent. of the total milks
examined, as against 13.8 per cent. in 1918, 8.1 per cent. in 1917, and 6.0
per cent. in 1916. Of the 4 adulterated samples, proceedings were
taken in one case (4.1 per cent. of added water, and 16 per cent.
of fat abstracted), and a fine of £2 was inflicted with 10s. 6d. costs. In
two other cases (23.3 per cent. of fat abstracted, and 6.6 per cent. of fat
abstracted) the vendors were protected by warranties, and no proceedings
were taken, whilst in the other ease (3.8 per cent. of fat abstracted) the
amount was insufficient for legal proceedings. The other samples were,
coffee, 32 samples, 2 adulterated, namely 21 per cent. of chicory, fine,
£1 and 10s. 6d. costs, and 16 per cent. of chicory, not taken under the Act;
baking-powder, 36 samples, all genuine; rice, 33 samples, all genuine;
oatmeal. 9 samples, all genuine; cocoa, 18 samples, all genuine; tapioca,
15 samples, all genuine; coffee mixtures, 4 samples (92, 82, 80 and 76 per
cent. of coffee respectively); mustard, 9 samples, 5 samples being sold
as mixtures, containing 30 to 15 per cent. of foreign starches; lard, 45
samples, all genuine; margarine, 45 samples, all genuine, but one, which
contained 1.1 per cent. excess of water; beer, 18 samples, all genuine;
and flour, 9 samples, all genuine.
Work of the Public Health Department.
The tabular statements prepared by the sanitary inspectors show that
1,256 separate premises were reported on by them during 1919, 346 of this
number being with reference to cases of notifiable infectious disease, and
184 in the course of house-to-house inspections made in certain of the
poorer streets of the Borough. Legal proceedings for breach of the Public
Health (London) Act were taken in respect of nine premises.
During the year, 345 premises were disinfected after cases of infections
or other disease, including rooms which had been in occupation by persons
suffering from tuberculosis. In addition 161 rooms were disinfected for
the presence of bugs and other vermin, and were subsequently stripped and
cleansed by the owners.
Fourteen school children were reported by school-nurses to be in a
verminous condition, and 28 visits to homes were paid in connection with
these cases. Sixty visits to homes were paid in connection with
scabies cases, 52 cases being in all reported.
Workrooms.
Number of workrooms inspected 282
„ „ measured 35
„ workroom cards given 51
,, outworkers premises inspected 52
„ laundries inspected 35
„ factories inspected 23