View report page

224 Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
The memorandum pointed out that samples of lard substitutes
have been found to contain as much as 24 per cent. of moisture,
and that samples taken in the North of England were found
to contain solid paraffin.
I therefore instructed the Inspector to take samples of lard
in various parts of the Borough. 12 samples were taken, but
these all proved on analysis to be genuine lard.
Groceries.
In all 69 samples of various groceries were taken, and 10 or
14.5 per cent. were reported against. Five of these were tinned
goods, two were cases of coffee, one of malt vinegar, and one of
cocoa. In the case of the cocoa, which contained 33 per cent. of
extraneous shell, the proceedings resulted in the vendor being
convicted, and a fine of £1 was inflicted with 12s. 6d. costs.
Cereals and Flour.
As was stated in my last Annual Report this Council issued
a circular letter to all grocers and others within the Borough
calling their attention to the so-called "facing of rice," viz.:
giving the rice a polished appearance by means of a mineral
known as talc or steatite.
It is satisfactory to report that the eight samples of rice
taken in various parts of the Borough proved on analysis to be
entirely free from "facing."
In connection with the list of articles sampled under this
heading it will be noticed that one rather unusual adulteration was
detected, viz.: arrowroot containing 90 per cent. of tapioca flour.
A comparison between the price paid for the sample of arrowroot,
viz.: 1s. 6d. per pound, and that usually paid for tapioca, viz.:
3d. per pound, shows that a large profit is thereby obtained.