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
Wandsworth 1891
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth District, The Board of Works (Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting & Wandsworth)]
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| Articles submitted. | Amount of Impurity. |
|---|---|
| Pepper | 50 per cent. of Rice. |
| Olive Oil | 100 per cent. of Mineral Oil. |
| Tinned Peas | 2 grains of Sulphate of Copper per lb. |
The olive oil case was evidently not one of adulteration,
but of selling a wrong article, and the offender
was duly punished. In the tinned peas case the wording
of the Act prevented prosecution, because any vendor
may colour or stain an article to improve its appearance
provided he does not thereby render it actually dangerous
to health, and I felt myself unable to certify that such
peas, which are eaten daily by hundreds of people without
any apparent effect, were actually dangerous to
health in the decided sense required by the Act now in
force. Whether any metallic salts being themselves
poisonous in free doses, should be allowed to be added to
food even in minute quantities, is a matter deserving, in
my opinion, the attention of the Legislature.
| Nature of Article. | Amount of adulteration. |
|---|---|
| A mixture containing Salicylate of Soda | 25 per cent. deficiency. |
| Spirit of Nitrous Ether | Contained only one-fifth of the proper amount of its active ingredient. |
The spirit of nitrous ether case could not be proceeded
with because the drug had been asked for by its
popular name of "Sweet Spirit of Nitre," and it is not
so called in the present Pharmacopoeia. That "Sal
volatile" should be included while "Sweet Nitre" is left
out is a matter that deserves the attention of the Medical
Council, because, while granting a legal standard to one
popular drug, it denies it to another in equally common
demand. At present any purchaser can depend on getting
proper Aromatic Spirit of Ammonia if he asks for it by its