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225
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
invalids, the Council wishes to point out that such polishing
is unnecessary, and hereby gives notice that the question of
taking proceedings under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act
will be considered in any cases in which it is found that the
amount of mineral matter mixed with or added to the surface
of the rice is excessive.
"Hen. Geo. Hills,
Town Clerk.
"Council House, Wandsworth, S.W.,
"13th December, 1909."
In four of the samples of rice taken the amount of extraneous
matter, that is, mineral matter removed from the surface of
the grain, was as follows: 104 per cent., .87 per cent., .79 per
cent., and '66 per cent.
The Inspector has on many occasions reported to me the
difficulty of dealing with the increasing number of peripatetic
milk vendors who come into the Borough from the surrounding
districts, and most of whom carry two sorts of milk, viz.:—new
and separated milk, on the same barrow. The following instance
was one of several brought to my notice. A vendor, residing outside
the Borough, was seen selling milk from a barrow on which
the words "Pure New Milk Supply" was printed in large letters.
The Inspector when taking a sample for analysis accosted the
vendor, who was calling out "Lovely New Milk," and asked for
a half-pint of milk. The vendor proceeded to serve the Inspector
from a quart can, and on enquiring what milk was on the barrow
found that there was only about one pint of new milk, but about
30 gallons of separated milk. A sample which was taken of the
separated milk proved on analysis to contain 30 per cent. of
added water. Proceedings were instituted against the vendor,
but before the summons was served he had absconded.
In any future legislation with regard to milk, it is, in my
opinion, desirable that some stringent regulations should be made
to control the sale of separated milk, as it is at present well
known that this article is sold to the poor as genuine new milk,