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281
[1912
are to-day in Islington, and, indeed, for that matter throughout London,
numerous milk traders who receive large quantities of separated milk for which
they have no demand, and which they rarely offer for sale. Indeed, frequently
it is never intended to be sold as such, but as an adulterant of the high
quality milk usually despatched to them by the farmers with whom they have
entered into contracts. The Medical Officer of Health has seen many
contracts made by purveyors of milk with farmers, in which he could not tail
to notice that they all demanded a fairly high percentage of fat in the milks
with which they were to be supplied. Milks containing these percentages are
invariably supplied. These good class milks are then adulterated down to 3
per cent. of fat. The milk trade call it " toning," but for all that it is rank
adulteration; and as milk at this figure passes the requirements of the Board
of Agriculture, the; offenders cannot be prosecuted for their act. And yet it
is a great fraud on the public, which is perpetrated by some offenders in the
open daylight. Indeed, during the year at least one man who has a very large
milk trade in Islington, openly mixed separated milk with pure milk in the
street outside his premises. In the opinion of the Medical Officer of Health
such frauds as this would be put an end to, certainly they would become less,
if the Milk Bill which has so long been obstructed by other legislation in the
House of Commons were passed. It is not creditable to the powers that be
that a measure which so deeply concerns the health of the public should be
delayed in this manner, for this Bill aims not only at preventing the milk from
diseased animals being sold, but also that milk contaminated with impurities
from whatever source they may come, as well as the prevention of its sophistication
with a by-product called separated milk.

The record of the adulteration of milk in Islington since 1892, is as
follows:—