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office work.
adulterated. The proportion of such samples proving to be adulterated is always high, as
appears from the following figures—
1906. 1907. 1908. 1909. 1910. 1911.
30.6 32.3 6.4 24.3 14.9 19.1
Of 62 samples of milk purchased in the streets on Sundays only one was found to be
adulterated. In 1910 4 out of 77 samples of milk obtained in like circumstances proved
to be adulterated.
An analysis of the forms of sophistication found in the 20 samples other than milk reported
to be adulterated shows that except in the last-named commodity adulteration—as generally
understood—was practically not found existent in the Borough last year. The 20 samples referred
to comprised—
Butter, 2.—In each case l.3 per cent. excess of water above the 16 per cent. allowed.
Cream, 9.—All containing undeclared amounts of preservative.
Mincemeat, 2.— ,, ,, ,,
British Wines, 7.—Six with amounts of alcohol ranging from 17.75 to 23.0 per cent, of
alcohol, and one with 1 per cent, alcohol and 5 grs. of salicylic acid to the pint.
Milk.—An effort is being made to remove milk from the scope of the Sale of Food and
Drugs Acts altogether. The position of the law with regard to milk is very unsatisfactory, and
much difficulty is experienced in securing convictions for the sale of adulterated milk. A
nominal standard composition has been set up by the Board of Agriculture, but it is now established
that the sale of milk falling far below that standard—if it be proved that the milk was
sold as taken from the cow—is no offence. There is, therefore, no real inducement to farmers to
do anything to improve the breed of milch cows as regards the quality of their milk. It is
more to their advantage to put quantity before quality. The fact of the morning milk being
so frequently below the standard, instead of being used as an argument for the abolition or
reduction of the standard, ought to be regarded as a strong argument to making the intervals
between milking more equal. Milk is of such importance in the diets of infants and sick
people—who together form a large proportion of the total population—that no effort should be
spared to improve its quality. In Denmark, where dairy farms are principally concerned in
butter making, great success has been achieved in improving the breed of cows both in the
direction of quality and quantity of milk yielded. What the Danes have done, British farmers
ought to be able to accomplish, if not to surpass.
Legislation on the milk question has been promised for some years. It is to be hoped
that strenuous efforts will be made to so frame the new law that the public will secure a really
good quality of milk with a high nutritive value.
OFFICE (CLERICAL) WORK.
The appended figures suggest the mass of work which has to be performed by the Clerical
Staff, and give but a very imperfect idea of the very large amount of writing which is necessary,
the bulk of which cannot be set out in the form of statistics.
Letters received 4,439 (4,300) Births entered in Register 2,845 (2,750)
,, despatched 4,120 (3,591) Complaints received 875 (662)
Entries in Postage Book 11,700 (12,125) Plans dealt with 348 (303)
Cases of infectious disease entered New openings in Journals 710 ( 750)
in Register (including consump- Disinfection Orders (duplicate) 2,692 (3,173)
tion) 1,151 (1,209) Notices to abate nuisances 1,291 (1,251)
Notices sent re above and other
diseases 4,582 (6,225)
The figures in parentheses are the returns for 1910.
Daily returns are sent to the Metropolitan Asylums Board, giving full particulars of cases
of infectious disease notified, and weekly to the County Council, giving particulars of births
notified.