London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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London County Council 1932

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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50
In all these cases of defective supplies the attention of the chief officer of supplies
was called to the matter, and in the more serious cases the medical officer of health
of the district was also informed.
The arrangement which I was able to conclude for the co-operation of the
medical officers of health in regard to the examinations of milk supplied to Council's
institutions and schools in the county and in certain areas outside the county has
been continued during the year with very satisfactory results.
Under this arrangement it has been possible to reduce the number of samples
examined at the central laboratory from 1,784 in 1931 to 614 in 1932. Some of the
boroughs have been unable to undertake the bacteriological work, and it has not
been possible to arrange a scheme of co-operation with the local medical officer of
health in respect of certain of the out-county institutions.
Under the scheme I have received reports on the chemical examinations of
1,197 samples of supplies to Council's institutions and schools, of which number 41
were deficient in butter-fat and 2 contained added water.
In addition to the above, results have been received of the bacteriological
examinations of 176 samples of pasteurised milk, of which 11 failed to comply with
the requirements of the Milk (Special Designations) Order, 1923, and of 136 samples
of raw milk, seven of which fell below the adopted standards.
Drugs.

Of the 1,010 samples of drugs and medical supplies examined during the year 97 (or 9.6 per cent.) were found to be either definitely unsatisfactory for use or below standard strength or quality.

Satisfactory913
Unsatisfactory or below standard—
Deficient in active constituent2397
Tincture, etc., deficient in alcohol12
Specific impurities found16
Dirty5
General deficiency35
Misdescribed7
Total1,010

These figures show some improvement compared with the previous year, when
16.9 per cent. of the samples analysed were either unsatisfactory or below standard.
Some rather unusual examples may be of interest. A sample described as acidum
aceticum glaciale was found to contain 72 per cent. methyl salicylate; two samples
of aspirin, phenacetin and caffeine citrate powders contained caffeine itself,
instead of caffeine citrate. An artificial green dye was found in a sample of
tinctura stramonii which was consequently rejected, as were two consignments of
calamina præparata B.P.C. which consisted almost entirely of zinc oxide.
In connection with the provisions of the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act,
1926, 278 samples have been examined during the year under the supervision of
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 Port Sanitary Authority.
The results of the analyses were:
Fertilisers
and feeding
stnfia.

Samples of feeding stuffs.

Complied with guarantee.....................87
Deficient47
Constituents in excess of guarantee ...... .........60
Guarantee incorrect in form or no guarantee ...18
Total ......212
Samples of fertilisers.
Complied with guarantee............ .........21
Deficient ...........................12
Constituents in excess of guarantee21
Guarantee incorrect in form or no guarantee...... ......12
Total ......66