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41
CLERICAL WORK
The adulteration found in the samples of sausages, mincemeat, sponge cake and lime juice
was due to the addition (undeclared) of preservatives.
The three adulterated samples of sausages which were taken at the middle or December,
were found to contain boric acid—2 of 15 grains to the lb. and one of 8. The three samples
of mincemeat, also taken in December, contained 12 grains of salicylic acid to the lb. in two
samples and 15 grains in the third. The 5 adulterated samples of sponge cake contained boric
acid in amounts varying from 5 to 20 grains to the lb. As regards these last, it was
ascertained that "liquid eggs" were used in the manufacture of the cakes. Three samples of
the "liquid eggs" were obtained, which were found to contain from ¾ to 1¼ per cent. of boric
acid, i.e., 52½ to 88½ grains to the lb. By direction of the Public Health Committee the facts
were reported to the Ministry of Health.
As regards the lime juice, the samples contained from .01—.08 per cent. of benzoic acid.
The quantities of preservatives reported in the above paragraphs were individually
small—may be even described as insignificant except for those susceptible to the drug named.
When, however, it is remembered that the addition of chemical preservative is widespread, it
may happen that more than the official dose of any one preservative—if recognised at all
for internal administration—may be taken at a single meal. It is full time that the addition
of chemicals to articles of food should be very strictly regulated by law. One condition
should be a declaration of the nature and amount of chemical used.
Cream Regulations.—Included among the 8 samples of cream were 5 of “preserved"
cream, all containing more than 35 per cent. of fat. Preservative was found in 4 of the 5
samples, in quantities ranging from 0.30—0.43 per cent. All the “preserved" creams were labelled
as required by the Regulations, and no addition of “thickening substances" was detected.
VIII.—CLERICAL WORK.
A numerical statement of so much of the work of the Clerical Staff as can be reduced to
statistics will be found in Table XXIX. It must suffice to say that work continues
to grow not only in quantity but in complexity. The administration of the recent Housing
Acts and of the Tuberculosis Scheme has involved a very great increase in the dossiers to be
kept and in correspondence. The taking over by the Council of the granting of milk, etc., at
less than cost price and the purchase of stocks of milk substitutes have taken up no small part
of the time of the Clerical Staff already hard pushed to get their work completed in due time.
IX.—LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
Summonses were taken out under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and Byelaws
pursuant thereto in respect of 19 offences, a statement of which will be found at the end of
the Appendix. Under the Housing Acts, 6 summonses were taken for failing to enter
prescribed particulars (names and addresses of the person receiving the rent and of the
Medical Officer of Health) in the Rent Books, and one for obstruction to men sent to do work
under contract accepted by the Council under Sec. 28 of the Act of 1919. A summons
was also taken out for recovery of expenditure for work done under a similar contract.
Under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, 16 summonses were taken out against
9 offenders, of whom two had been previously convicted.
The total amount of fines imposed was £72 10s., and of costs given by the Court,
£13 14s. 6d. The amounts of fines and costs recovered during the last five years have been—
“Health Cases"
£ s. d.
1921 35 18 0
1920 50 14 6
1919 54 12 0
1918 45 8 0
1917 14 14 6
“Adulteration Cases"
£ s. d.
50 6 6
35 18 6
235 0 6
139 15 6
49 0 0