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
St James's 1900
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St James's, Westminster]
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56
Table of 93 Samples submitted for examination during the year 1900.
Note.—A good average milk should contain not less than 12·5% of Milk Solids.
Milks containing 13% and over are described as "Excellent."
Milks containing from 12 to 13% are described as "Good."
Milks containing less than 12% are described as "Poor."
Milks containing less than 11·50% are certified as adulterated; and, thereupon, the percentage of added water, or of fatabstraction,
is calculated by comparison with a standard of fair average Milk containing 12·5% of Milk Solids.
The Government Laboratory, when certifying Milk as adulterated with added water, calculates the percentage
of added water by the standard of bottom-limit Milk. This bottom-limit Milk used to contain 11·25%, of Milk Solids
of which 2·75% were fat, and 8·5% were solids-not-fat. During the year 1899, the standard for fat was raised from
2·75% to 3% making the present standard for bottom-limit Milk 11·50% of total milk solids. This limit is not
to be held to anticipate or prejudge in any way the regulations as to standards which the Board of Agriculture
may issue under the provisions of the 4th Section of the Act of 1899.
Detailed remarks on standards will be found in my Report on Food Analysis for year 1896 (pages 48-50); also in the special Report on Milk Analysis appended to my Annual Report for year 1897 (vide pages 8 and 9).
| No. | Article. | Quality. | Principal Facts of Analysis. | Remarks. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vinegar | Genuine | Contained 4·94% of Acetic Acid | Contained Sulphates= ·024% of Sulphuric Acid |
| 2 | Vinegar | Adulterated with Gypsum | Contained ·156% of Combined Sulphuric Acid, chiefly as Gypsum | Total acidity= 4·32% of Acetic Acid. Summoned.—Summons dismissed on defendant paying his own costs, the Magistrate remarking that "it was a very proper case to bring before him." |
| 3 | Vinegar | Genuine | Contained 3·78% of Acetic Acid | Contained Sulphates= ·05% of Sulphuric Acid |
| 4 | Vinegar | Adulterated with Gypsum | Contained ·143% of Combined Sulphuric Acid, chiefly as Gypsum | Total acidity= 4·38% of Acetic Acid. Summoned.—Summons |
| 5 | Vinegar | Genuine | Contained 3·54% of Acetic Acid | dismissed as in case No. 2. Contained Sulphates= ·0302% of Sulphuric Acid |
| 6 | Vinegar | Genuine | Contained 3·60% of Acetic Acid | Contained Sulphates= ·0416% of Sulphuric Acid |