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
City of Westminster 1908
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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102
Forty-four prosecutions were taken with regard to adulteration—
30 for fat abstracted, 13 for added water, and 1 for selling milk from a
vehicle without having name and address thereon. Warranties or
disclosures were proved in 15 instances. Nine cautions were given to
sellers whose milk contained less than 5 per cent. of added water, or had
less than 5 per cent. of fat abstracted; in none of these was it found
necessary, on subsequent samples being taken, to take further proceedings;
61.8 per cent. of the samples were of good or fair quality,
well above the official standard as compared with 68.8 in 1907. Details
of the proceedings taken are appended.
Sunday Samples.—131 of the samples of milk were taken on 13
Sundays during the year; 14 (10.6 per cent.) were found to be
adulterated. In 1907 and 1906 the figures were 11 and 10.5 per cent.
respectively.
Samples taken in course of Delivery—
(a) At Railway Stations.—75 samples of milk were taken on
arrival at Victoria and Charing Cross Railway Stations. Fifty were
reported of good quality, 18 fair, 6 poor, and 1 adulterated.
A sample of milk taken at Victoria Station was found on analysis to
consist of "Separated" milk, but there was no label on the churn to
indicate this. Representations were made to the Board of Agriculture
suggesting that such churns should have a label attached.
(b) On Delivery at Shops.—21 samples of milk were taken as it was
being delivered by wholesale firms to retail customers. Of these
samples, 10 were good, 7 fair, 3 poor, and 1 adulterated (15 per cent,
of fat abstracted). These samples were taken in consequence of the
milk sold by the retailer having been previously sampled and found
below the limit.
The number of samples of milk taken in each of the last eight years are as follows:—
| 1901. | 1902. | 1903. | 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | 1907. | 1908. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New | 492 | 491 | 608 | 741 | 831 | 806 | 792 | 860 |
| Separated, condensed, sterilised or dried | — | 55 | 55 | 31 | 36 | 11 | 31 | 18 |
| Total | 402 | 546 | 663 | 772 | 867 | 817 | 823 | 878 |
Cream.—A further appeal from the Quarter Sessions to the High
Court in the case of boracic acid in cream (McNair v. Cullen) was heard
by the Divisional Court on 1st June, 1908, and was dismissed with
costs. Following upon this decision, a number of cases which had been
adjourned sine die were considered at the various Police Courts and