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
City of London 1905
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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It will be seen from the above Table that butter adulteration in the City has
dropped from 5.8 per cent. in 1901 to 1.14 in 1905, and compares favourably
with the whole Metropolis, as shown by the accompanying figures extracted
from the Local Government Report for 1904:—
Percentage of samples of Butter adulterated in the City of London and the several Metropolitan Boroughs during the year 1904, arranged "in order of merit." Whole Metropolis, 8.3 per cent.
| No. of samples examined. | Per cent. of samples adulterated. | No of samples examined. | Per cent. of samples adulterated. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stoke Newington | 21 | None | St. Pancras | 183 | 7.6 |
| Westminster | 211 | 0.9 | Wandsworth | 180 | 7.8 |
| Kensington | 1ll | 1.8 | Paddington | 67 | 8.9 |
| Hampstead | 110 | 1.9 | Islington | 252 | 9.1 |
| St. Marylebone | 75 | 2.6 | Hackney | 196 | 9.2 |
| 441 | 2.9 | Bethnal Green | 104 | 9.6 | |
| Southwark | 355 | 4.8 | Bermondsey | 179 | 10.6 |
| Chelsea | 60 | 5.0 | Finsbury | 120 | 10.9 |
| Woolwich | 78 | 5.1 | Shoreditch | 181 | 11.0 |
| Greenwich | 91 | 5.5 | Camberwell | 301 | 13.6 |
| Lambeth | 250 | 5.6 | Battersea | 114 | 14.4 |
| Deptford | 97 | 6.2 | Fulham | 369 | 15.4 |
| Holborn | 73 | 6.8 | Stepney | 237 | 15.6 |
| Lewisham | 166 | 7.2 | Hammersmith | 76 | 17.1 |
| Poplar | 121 | 7.4 |
A case of some interest in relation to the character of some of the butter
imported from Holland occurred during the year. A provision merchant at
Smithfield received a consignment of butter from Rotterdam, and having
reason to doubt its genuineness, requested that a sample might be taken. This
was done, with the result that it was certified by the Public Analyst to
contain 20 per cent. of margarine (fat and other than butter fat).
This discovery placed the salesman in the following position:—
1. He was liable to a penalty of £20 for importing margarine containing
more than ten per cent. of butter fat.
2. It obviously could not be sold as butter.
3. It would be unlawful to sell it as margarine.
4. The consignors in Holland threatened to denounce him to their
fellow-dealers because he declined to pay for the mixture,
5. As the consignors had guaranteed its purity, the salesman would, if
so requested, have sold it with a warranty, in which case he would have
been liable to a conviction. This would have placed his tenancy in
jeopardy, as in due course his conviction would have been reported
to the Markets Committee.
This matter was subsequently put into the hands of the Butter Association,
and resulted in the Netherland Authorities undertaking to take legal