View report page

72
1928]
Prosecutions. 49 summonses were issued under the "Sale of Food and
Drugs Acts," of which 47 were successfully prosecuted. Altogether penalties
and costs to the amount of £194 7s. 6d. were obtained. 13 prosecutions were
also taken under the "Milk and Dairies Order, 1926," resulting in convictions
in 11 cases with penalties and costs amounting to £30 2s.
One summons was taken under the Milk and Dairies (Consolidated) Act,
1915, and a conviction was obtained with a fine of £1 and £1 costs. There was
also a case under the Public Health (Condensed Milk) Regulations, 1923, when
the defendant was fined £2 2s. with £2 2s. costs.
Liniment of Turpentine.— In the beginning ot the year the Medical Officer
of Health reported upon the sampling results of Liniment of 1 urpentine, which
was taken in 1927. 58 informal samples were taken in that year, see Report for
1927, page 65, and 13 formal samples, see page 68, a total ol 71. lhe results
show that a large mass of the general public have to be protected in their own
purchases of common household remedies. The composition of Liniment of Turpentine
is fixed by the British Pharmacopoeia by its name, namely, Liniment of
Turpentine. In addition to the samples taken, 6 chemists refused to supply,
and two supplied substitutes, these being labelled as being something else. When
it was ascertained by informal «iimpling where "adulterated" samples were most
likely to be obtained, we afterwards officially sampled. Of these, 9 again
substituted some other preparation without disclosing the fact to the agent purchasing.
In regard to this practice of substituting some other embrocation in place
of Liniment of Turpentine asked for, I may point out that the Liniment of Turpentine
in the British Pharmacopoeia contains camphor, and this makes it a somewhat
more costly preparation than the article generally substituted. In addition, Liniment
of Turpentinel has twice the quantity of turpentine that was in most of the
"substituted" samples. Other important points are that most of the substituted
samples were preparation containing ammonia, and it is an unfortunate
experience that if there is any abrasion of the skin or cut where these substituted
embrocations are used, they cause very severe smarting and pain. The Liniment
of the British Pharmacopoeia has a larger proportion of Turpentine of a different
nature, namely, Rectified Oil of Turpentine, a superior article to that ordinarily
used in embrocations, which are made up with commercial turpentine, and the
Pharmacopoeial preparation having also Camphor, has a more lasting effect.
The result of the proceedings taken against the nine chemists who "substituted"
are detailed in the Table of legal proceedings on pages 86, 87.
Prescriptions.—Whilst speaking of chemists, I may mention that the taking
of prescription samples in Islington is attended with difficulties which may not
be so common elsewhere. There is a strong disinclination to dispense prescriptions
for strangers, and once an official sample is taken, it would appear that all
chemists in the district get to know of it and are at once on their guard.
In regard to prescriptions inaccurately dispensed where the discrepancy was
small and might possibly have been due to deterioration, the managers of the
firms were personally warned that the dispensing of prescriptions had to be carried
out with drugs that came up to the standard of the British Pharmacopoeia.
With regard to the more serious cases, legal proceedings were taken, see
Table, page 87-88.