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 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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1ll
During the year 48 milk sellers took advantage of the provision contained
in 3rd Schedule of the Milk and Dairies Act, 1915, to request the
Local Authority to take samples from the consignors at the place of
delivery. The form of written request is prescribed in the Schedule,
and although 28 of the requests were in proper legal form, 20 were quite
inadmissible in that they specified neither time nor place where the samples
could be taken nor did they express a request for such samples to be
taken. It is important to note that there is no obligation on the Local
Authority to take the extra samples from the consignor unless the request
is submitted in due legal form and lodged with the authority within
60 hours of the taking of the original sample. Unless the precise
requirements of the schedule are observed a warranty cannot be pleaded.
It proved necessary to take samples from consignors only in 6 cases
in response to the requests from 48 vendors, as 42 of the original samples
from the vendors proved genuine.
The analyses of the samples from the vendors which were not genuine is summarised below, together with the results of the corresponding samples taken subsequently from the consignors:— Table I.
| Vendor's Sample. | Action taken and Result. | Consignor's Sample, number taken. | Result of Analysis. | Action taken and Result. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contained 4 per cent. of added water. | Warranty proved. Summons dismissed | 5 | Genuine | No action. |
| Contained 1 per cent. of added water. 4 per cent. fat abstracted | Warranty proved. Summons dismissed | 4 | Genuine | No action. |
| Contained 3 per cent. of added water | Summons dismissed under Probation of Offenders Act on payment of 10s. costs | 1 | Genuine | No action. |
| Contained 2 per cent. of added water. Contained 1 per cent. of added water | Vendor cautioned | 2 | Genuine | No action. |
| Contained 6 per cent. of added water | Dismissed under Probation of Offenders Act | 7 | Genuine | No action. |
| Contained 10 per cent. of added water. Contained 8 per cent. of added water | £2 0s. 0d. fine, £2 0s. 0d. costs | 1 | Genuine | No action |