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
Deptford 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Deptford Borough]
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"Full particulars of samples submitted and results of analyses under the Food and Drugs Act have been furnished in the Quarterly Reports; adulteration or irregularities were found in 32 instances ; and the following Table summarises the proportions of milk samples and other samples of food and drugs recorded as unsatisfactory during the year, with the corresponding figures for the three previous years :
| Number Submitted | Number " Adulterated " | Percentage " Adulterated " | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Milk samples | 164 | 4 | 2.4 |
| Other samples | 353 | 28 | 7.9 | |
| Total | 517 | 32 | 6.2 | |
| 1949 | Milk samples | 128 | 0 | 0 |
| Other samples | 401 | 16 | 4.0 | |
| Total | 529 | 16 | 3.0 | |
| 1950 | Milk samples | 87 | 2 | 2.3 |
| Other samples | 442 | 26 | 5.9 | |
| Total | 529 | 28 | 5.3 | |
| 1951 | Milk samples | 106 | 10 | 9.4 |
| Other samples | 421 | 22 | 5.2 | |
| Total | 527 | 32 | 6.1 | |
" Of the 106 samples of milk analysed, 88 were submitted as Sunday
samples, 18 having been taken on week-days.
" The average composition of the milk as sampled is shown in the following Table ; the figures for an exceptional sample, No. 83, which contained 60% of added water, having been excluded.
| Deptford | Southern England | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb.-April 1951 | Whole Year 1951 | Year 1950 | Year 1949 | Year 1948 | Year 1947 | Pre-VVar Average | |
| Fat | 3.45 | 3.52 | 3.44 | 3.47 | 3.45 | 3.51 | 3.75 |
| Fat Solids-not-fat Total solids | 8.47 | 8.63 | 8.70 | 8.74 | 8.72 | 8.68 | 8.89 |
| Total solids | 11.92 | 12.15 | 12.14 | 12.21 | 12.17 | 12.19 | 12.64 |
" As in previous years the proportion of milk solids shows a noticeable
fall in the late winter months, as compared with pre-war averages.
Indeed, for the first time the average percentage of solids-not-fat occurring
in February to April actually fails to reach the minimum legal standard
(8-5%), below which milk is presumed to be not genuine. The high
percentage of ' adulterated ' milks recorded above, 9.4% was with one
exception due to samples falling somewhat below the legal standard for
solids-not-fat, but in which the actual presence of added water could not
be definitely proved.
" The 22 other samples reported as unsatisfactory comprised 15
different classes of food and 1 drug, a Tincture of lodine. They included