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
St Pancras 1903
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, London, Borough of]
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West and South Divisions of St. Pancras.
| Classes of Vendors. | Persons | Annual Average number of samples taken. | Annual Average number of prosecutions. | Percentage of persons sampled | Percentage of persons prosecuted. | Number of prosecutions per 100 samples. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Persons selling a gallon or two daily | 145.0 | 50.0 | 10.0 | 34.5 | 6.9 | 20.0 |
| B. ,, ,, churn or two ,, | 40.0 | 32.3 | 1.7 | 80.8 | 4.2 | 5.2 |
| C. ,, ,, several churns ,, | 44.0 | 25.0 | 56.8 | 1.5 | 2.7 | |
| D. „ „ a van load „ | 25.0 | 11.3 | 45.3 | 2.1 | 5.9 | |
| Total | 254.0 | 118.6 | 13.1 | 46.7 | 5.1 | 11.0 |
All Saint Pancras.
| Classes of Vendors. | Persons. | Annual Average number of samples taken. | Annual Average number of prosecutions. | Percentage of persons sampled. | Percentage of persons prosecuted. | Number of prosecutions per 100 samples. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Persons selling- a gallon or two daily | 309.0 | 84.7 | 14.7 | 27.4 | 4.7 | 17.3 |
| B. ,, ,, churn or two ,, | 76.0 | 65.0 | 4.7 | 85.6 | 6.1 | 7.2 |
| C. ,, „ several churns „ | 54.0 | 43.7 | 2.7 | 80.9 | 4.9 | 6.1 |
| D. „ ,, a van load ,, | 29.0 | 25.3 | 1.3 | 87.4 | 4.6 | 5.3 |
| Total | 468.0 | 218.7 | 23.3 | 46.9 | 5.0 | 10.7 |
In 1891 a consecutive number of samples of farmers' milk arriving at the
railway stations in St. Pancras were taken promiscuously, and the resulting
prosecutions were equal to 1.2 per 100 samples. In Islington in 1902 a similar
course showed two cases of adulteration per 100 samples taken. This is
evidence that the number of prosecutions obtainable per 100 samples of
farmers' milk arriving at railway stations in London does not exceed 2 per cent.
If the preceding figures be thrown into one table we have the following results:—
| Classes of Vendors. | Number of Prosecutions per 100 . samples. | |
|---|---|---|
| A. Persons selling a gallon or two daily | 17.3 | =17.3 |
| B. ,, ,, churn or two ,, | 7.2 | =6.5 |
| C. ,, ,, several churns „ | 6.1 | |
| D. ,, ,, a van load or more daily | 5.3 | |
| E. Farmers or producers | 2.0 | =2.0 |