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88
dairymen. More and more milk is being dealt with in
Hammersmith each year, and this, no doubt, to some extent
accounts for the increase in the number of adulterated
samples reported. The milk is adulterated before it arrives
in the Borough.
The fact that the percentage of adulteration in Hammersmith
is greater than in most of the neighbouring boroughs
is partly accounted for by the fact that none of the other
boroughs have the number of large wholesale dairies that
are in Hammersmith.
It is, I think, safe to say that little milk is received in
these boroughs direct from the farms, and the lower percentage
of adulterated samples reported may perhaps in
some measure be ascribed to the efficent control exercised
over the milk in Hammersmith from which source most of
their supplies are drawn.
The Sale of Milk Regulations, 1901, state that milk containing
less than 3 per cent. of milk fat or less than 8.5 percent.
of non-fatty solids shall be presumed not to be
genuine. The presumption of the milk's non-genuineness,
however, can be rebutted by the vendor if he proves that
the milk is of the same composition as when it came from
the cow.
The Milk and Dairies Act, 1915. provides that the
Medical Officer of Health or Sampling Officer of a local
authority within whose area milk from any dairy situate
outside that area is being sold or exposed for sale may, by
notice in writing, require samples to be taken at the farm
at the time of milking or in the course of delivery.
In each of the cases where milk received in the Borough
direct from farmers was reported to be " adulterated " this
procedure was adopted, and in each case the examination
of the samples taken at the farms showed some of the
samples to be below the standard of the Regulations. The
presumption that the milk received in Hammersmith was
adulterated was therefore " rebutted."
It is, of course, well known that the milk from a single
cow may depart considerably as regards the proportions of
its various constituents from what is regarded as normal.