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Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
247
The chief adulterations occurred in samples of ginger beer,
which were examined for the presence of metallic lead.
As will be seen in my Report for 1909 the following circular
letter was sent to all persons who sold ginger beer in the Borough
" The attention of the Medical Officer of Health has been
called to the fact that ginger beer is being sold from barrels,
stored in cellars with a lead communicating pipe to the engine
on the counter. As there is a serious risk of the ginger beer
being contaminated with lead and thus causing lead poisoning,
this practice should, in the opinion of the Medical Officer of
Health, at once be discontinued."
During the year I was informed that certain of the large
licensed premises were still using the counter pump for serving
ginger beer. I therefore instructed the Inspector to take samples
and ascertain the method adopted generally in the Borough.
The following report was made to the Committee on the matter.
2nd July, 1912.
LEAD IX GINGER BEER.
" I have to report that in August, 1909, a circular letter was
sent to occupiers of all licensed premises in the Borough warning
them of the danger to health in using lead communicating pipes
connecting the barrel with the hand pump on the counter.
" With a view of ascertaining if this circular letter had caused
the use of such pipes to be discontinued, samples of ginger beer
have been procured during the last fortnight.
" Of 12 informal samples submitted for analysis 11 contained
lead, while of 13 formal samples 12 contained lead.
" In the formal samples in which lead was found the amount
varied from .05 to 9.8 grains per gallon of ginger beer.
In all 97 public houses were visited. In 79 of these the ginger
beer was drawn directly from the barrel and samples of these were
not submitted. In 18 it was drawn from a hand-pump through a