View report page

63
general, special and mental hospitals and public assistance institutions, under
contracts which require a minimum of 3.25 per cent. of fat and 8.5 per cent. of
other solids, except during the months of March and April, when the fat must not
be less than 3 per cent., and 2 were from farms attached to institutions, etc. The
quality of the supplies generally has been much less satisfactory than in recent
years, 20 samples (12.7 per cent.) being deficient in fat, one of the latter and four
other samples giving presumptive evidence of added water.
The condition of the supplies in respect of extraneous matter was less satisfactory
also, for of the 158 contract samples examined, 14 (8.8 per cent.) were
unsatisfactory in this respect.
The arrangement made for the co-operation of the borough medical officers of
health in regard to the examinations of milk supplied to Council's institutions in
the county and in certain areas outside the county has been continued during the
year with very satisfactory results.
Under this scheme reports have been received on the chemical examination of
323 samples, of which 15 were deficient in fat.
In addition to the above, results have been received from borough medical
officers of the bacteriological examination of 206 samples of pasteurised milk, of
which 2 failed to comply with the standard laid down in the Milk (Special
Designations) Order, 1923.
The results of all examinations are forwarded to the chief officer of supplies
for his information and he takes any action that he may consider necessary.
During the year 1,079 samples of drugs and medical supplies were examined, Drugs.
and of these 85 (or 7.9 per cent.) were found to be either definitely unsatisfactory
for use or below standard strength or quality. In the large majority of cases the
latter description applied, and in general the deficiency was small though definite.
Satisfactory 994
Unsatisfactory or below standard—
Deficient in active constituent 31
Tincture, etc., deficient in alcohol 2
Specific impurities found 32
Dirty or badly made 4
General deficiency13
Misdescribed3
— 85
Total 1,079
The percentage of samples reported upon adversely during the previous year
was 7.2, which is not very different from this year's figure. Among the more
notable rejections was that of a sample of senna fruit, the average size and weight
of which was under standard, indicating that the pods had not been well selected
and were of an inferior grade. A sample of senega root yielded a large excess of ash
and contained much dust. A consignment alleged to be pulvis talci co. contained
no zinc oxide or boric acid and was simply talc. Some tablets of calcium acetylsalicylate
had decomposed with the liberation of free acetic and salicylic acids.
In connection with the provisions of the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act,
1926, 207 samples have been examined during the year under the supervision of
the chemist-in-chief who is the official 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
stuffs.