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hoped that in the near future all obviously unsound food will be
thus surrendered, and that no occasion will arise for a seizure of such
material to be followed by a prosecution of the vendor—for it cannot
be to the interest of anyone to sell unsound food, and the risks are
considerable.
In some 40 per cent, of sausages examined one finds antiseptics
(sometimes in large quantities), and I have occasionally found two
different chemical antiseptics in one and the same sausage. The
two chemical antiseptics employed are solutions of sulphurous acid
(sometimes in the form of sulphite) and boric acid.
If it is necessary to use preservatives at all in the manufacture
of sausages, the drugging of the food . should be performed
under proper advice and restrictions. Sausage makers are at
present advised, and, indeed, pressed to use preservative powders
and solutions on the market by agents whose commercial interest it is
to foster the sale of these articles, and they are often used without any
discrimination by butchers who are not notified as to the minimum
quantities that will suffice. Hence one finds that where 5 to 10
grains to the pound of boric acid would be sufficient to preserve fresh
sausage meat, even in the summer months, as much as 60 grains are
sometimes added.
During the year the following communication was circulated
among the sausage makers in the Borough: —
Dear Sir,—I am instructed by the Public Health Committee to
inform you that several convictions have l>een obtained for the sale
of sausages containing harmful amounts of chemical preservatives,
and that recently a vendor was fined at the Old Street Police Court
for the sale of sausage containing boric acid to the extent of 48
grains to the pound. I am also instructed by the Public Health
Committee to take occasional samples of the sausages sold in the