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155
These figures show a decrease in the proportion of adulterated samples
taken at shops and during delivery, and an increase amongst those taken in
the street.
The penalties imposed upon offenders on conviction varied from 1s. and
18s. 6d. expenses to £5 and 18s. 0d. expenses.
That over 6 per cent. of the milk samples taken during 1908 were
adulterated—in spite of the fact that during the past eight years no less than
241 prosecutions have been instituted against milk dealers alone in the City—
is an indication that milk sophistication is a paying business on the whole,
and unless offenders are more heavily dealt with, the evil is likely to continue.
Your Public Analyst reports that milk which used to be generally mixed
with preservatives was in all cases last year free from boric acid and formalin.

Particular attention was again directed to the character of the butter sold
at coffee-houses, and of 112 samples of butter served upon slices of "bread
and butter" purchased at these places, only one case was discovered where
margarine had been served as a substitute, a mean fraud for which the vendor
was mulcted in a fine of £5 and 21s. 6d. expenses.
Fourteen of the above were purchased in the early morning, and all were
genuine.
The following summary shows the amount of this deception that was
discovered in the six years 1903-8:—