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generally to careless handling, in allowing dust, etc., to fall into the milk, and in a
few cases due to unhygienic conditions of milking, giving rise to contamination
by manure. The contamination of milk by any form of dust or other extraneous
matter is likely to affect the quality of the milk adversely by rendering it more
liable to "sour" and it may be a source of contamination by pathogenic organisms.
With this fact in view, any samples found to be contaminated only with traces
of extraneous matter are reported as unsatisfactory, no matter what the composition
of the milk may be. Of the milks found to be of unsatisfactory composition 98 were
found to be deficient in fat (in one case, only 33 per cent. of the fat was present) and
23 contained added water, the maximum addition being 20 per cent. In addition
to the above, 168 milk samples were examined—10 from farms belonging to
institutions or schools, 140 from hospitals and institutions and 18 from mental
hospitals. Of these 29 (17.3 per cent.) were found to be unsatisfactory.
Samples
of meals.
Meals for necessitous children.—Ten samples of meals, other than "milk" or
"oil" meals, supplied at feeding centres, were examined during the year and gave
results which showed that the required food values were generally well maintained
Water
supply;
private wells.
Water supply—from private wells.—Samples of water from the following hospitals
and institutions were analysed from time to time with a view to ensuring that the
quality of water was satisfactory for drinking purposes:—
Caterham Mental Hospital; Millfield Tuberculosis Institution, Rustington;
Sidcup Residential School; Bethnal Green Hospital; Long Grove Mental Hospital;
Hollesley Bay Colony; London Industrial Colony, Sutton; Horton Central Station;
Lamorbey Residential School; St. Pancras (South) Hospital; Southern Hospital,
Dartford; Waterloo House Institution; Hanwell Mental Hospital.
The total number of analyses made was 45, and in 7 cases advice was given
as to measures which should be taken to imprmrove the quality of the water in Question.
Fertilisers
and feeding
stuffs.
During the year 264 samples of fertilisers and feeding stuffs for cattle and
poultry, have been examined in connection with the provisions of the Fertilisers
and Feeding Stuffs Act, 1926, by the chemist, who is the agricultural analyst for
those parts of the county which do not come within the purview of the City Corporation
or the Port Sanitary Authority. The results of the analvses were:—

Water
softening.
The proportion of samples not agreeing with the statutory statement was very
similar to that of last year and shows clearly the necessity for the examinations
performed under the Act. In the majority of cases the divergence from the limits
allowed under the Act was comparatively small, but in a few cases the discrepancy
was considerable. In one instance a sample sold as "nitrate of soda" consisted
entirely of sulphate of ammonia. The general good effect of this Act and the earlier
Acts which it replaces is shown in the very rare occurrence of impurity in feeding
stuffs which 30 or 40 years ago were often grossly adulterated.
Examinations of waters used for laundry purposes have been made and information
given as to the amounts of soda-ash required for removing most of the soapdestroying
constituents.