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 1910
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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(b) On Delivery at Shops, &c.—47 samples of milk were taken as it
was being delivered by wholesale firms to retail customers. Of these
samples, 22 were good, 15 fair, 6 poor, and 4 adulterated (9 per cent.
fat abstracted, 1 per cent. added water, 2 per gent, added water, 2 per
added water and 4 per cent. abstracted fat). 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 nine years are as follows:—
| 1902. | 1903 | 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | 1907. | 1908 | 1909. | 1910. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New | 401 | 658 | 741 | 831 | 806 | 792 | 860 | 951 | 947 |
| Separated, condensed, sterilised or dried | 55 | 55 | 31 | 36 | 11 | 31 | 18 | 16 | 13 |
| Total | 546 | 663 | 772 | 867 | 817 | 823 | 878 | 967 | 960 |
Infringement of Section 9, Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1899.—
Several persons were cautioned for failure to have name and address on
milk can or barrow.
Refused to Sell.—A vendor refused to sell milk in a shop to the
Inspector from a can which contained about one quart and was standing
in front of the counter. A customer had been served from the can in
question previous to the Inspector.s Assistant demanding some of the
milk. The explanation given was that the milk was wanted for the
proprietor.s wife. A fine of £3 was inflicted and 12s. 6d. costs. A
sample of milk purchased on a former occasion had been found deficient
and the vendor had been lined.
Cream.—The trade has now adopted the distinction in selling cream
of the terms "fresh" or "preserved." Forty.one samples of the former
were taken, 21 of them contained no preservative, and 20 had boric
acid in the following proportions per pound:—5.95, 7.7, 9, 10, 10.25, 11,
11.2, 12.39, 13.8, 13.8, 148, 16.1, 16.1, 17.3, 20.5, 21.7, 23.5, 23.5, 24.29
and 30.98 grains respectively. In most of these instances notices were
displayed in the shops that the cream contained preservative, although
it was sold as fresh. Proceedings were taken in respect of five
with the largest amounts, and notwithstanding the notices in the shops,
convictions were obtained.
The preserved creams sold in pots and marked as containing not
more than 35 grains were found to have the following amounts per
pound:—7.7, 7.8, 10.6, 14, 16.8, 19, 20.2 and 29.4 grains respectively.
Cheese.—It having come to the notice of the Public Health Com