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 1912
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]
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234
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
Another most important factor is the system of taking informal
samples, which has been carried out to a large extent during the
year under review.
The following table shows the number of formal and informal
samples taken in each sub-district of the Borough, together with
the number taken per 1,000 of population, the number adulterated,
and the percentage adulterated to total samples taken.
It will be noted that of the formal samples 15.1 per cent.
were adulterated, while of the informal 22.4 per cent. were adulterated.
| Formal Samples. | Informal Samples. | Total No. of samples taken. | No. per 1,000 of Population. | No. Adulterated. | Percentage Adulterated. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of samples taken. | No. Adulterated. | Percentage Adulterated. | No. of sample taken | No. Adulterated. | Percentage Adulterated. | |||||
| Clapham | 166 | 30 | 180 | 109 | 28 | 25.6 | 275 | 4.6 | 58 | 21.0 |
| Putney | 107 | 17 | 15.8 | 71 | 14 | 19.7 | I 78 | 6.0 | 31 | 17.4 |
| Streatham | 235 | 42 | 17.8 | 209 | 72 | 34.4 | 444 | 4.4 | 114 | 25.7 |
| Tooting | 156 | 19 | 12.1 | 101 | 10 | 9.9 | 257 | 6.6 | 29 | 11.2 |
| Wandsworth | 235 | 28 | 11.9 | 111 | 11 | 9.9 | 346 | 3.6 | 39 | 11.2 |
| Whole Borough | 899 | 136 | 15. I | 601 | 135 | 22.4 | 1,500 | 4.6 | 271 | 18.3 |
Of the total samples the percentage in Streatham was the
highest due to the large amount of adulteration in the informal
samples taken, no less than 72 out of a total of 209, or 34.4 per
cent., having been adulterated.
Table CXIV. shows in detail the total number of samples
analysed during the year; the number found adulterated or not
up to standard, and the percentage of adulteration for the year
as well as for the previous five years.