London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
This page requires JavaScript
THE FOOD AND DRUGS (ADULTERATION) ACT, 1928, THE PUBLIC HEALTH (PRESERVATIVES, ETC., IN FOOD) REGULATIONS, THE PUBLIC HEALTH (CONDENSED MILK) REGULATIONS, 1923 AND 1927, THE PUBLIC HEALTH (DRIED MILK) REGULATIONS, 1923 AND 1927, AND THE ARTIFICIAL CREAM ACT, 1929.
Formal and Informal Samples Submitted for Analysis.
| Article. | Number Examined. | Number Adulterated, etc. | Percentage of Adulteration. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formal. | Informal. | Total. | Formal. | Informal. | Total. | Formal. | Informal. | Total. | |
| Beer | — | 10 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bread | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Butter | 5 | 23 | 28 | l | 6 | 7 | 20.0 | 26.0 | 25.0 |
| Butter (on bread) | 1 | 17 | 18 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 5.8 | 5.5 |
| Cheese | — | 11 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cocoa | — | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coffee | — | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Confectionery | — | 27 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cream | 3 | 14 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 100.0 | 14.2 | 29.4 |
| Flour | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | _ | — |
| Flour (Self-raising) | — | 6 | 6 | _ | |||||
| Jam and Marmalade | — | 13 | 13 | _ | |||||
| Lard | — | 14 | 14 | — | — | — | — | _ | _ |
| Margarine | — | 11 | 11 | — | — | ||||
| Milk | 222 | — | 222 | 16 | — | 16 | 7.2 | — | 7.2 |
| Milk, Condensed | — | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | _ | _ |
| Mustard | — | 14 | 14 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Sugar | — | 20 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | _ |
| Tea | — | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | _ |
| Vinegar | — | 25 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | _ |
| Wine | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | _ |
| Spirits | 39 | — | 39 | 2 | — | 2 | 51 | — | 5.1 |
| Drugs | 3 | 110 | 113 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 66.6 | 3.6 | 5.3 |
| Other Articles | 4 | 402 | 406 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 50.0 | 1.2 | 1.7 |
| Totals | 277 | 745 | 1022 | 26 | 19 | 45 | 9.3 | 2.5 | 4.4 |
| Spirits— | |||||||||
| Brandy | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | _ |
| Gin | 6 | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | _ | _ |
| Rum | 12 | — | 12 | 2 | — | 2 | 16.6 | _ | 16.6 |
| Whisky | 18 | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Totals | 39 | _ | 39 | 2 | _ | 2 | 51 | _ | 51 |
| Drugs— | |||||||||
| Acid, Boric | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | _ | __ | _ | — |
| Acid, Tartaric | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | _ | _ | _ | — |
| Borax | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | _ | _ | _ |
| Camphorated Oil | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cascara Sagrada | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cream of Tartar | — | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | _ | _ | _ |
| Epsom Salts | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | _ |
| Friar's Balsam | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | _ | — | _ |
| Ground Ginger | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Glycerine | — | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Glycerine of Alum | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 100.0 | 50.0 |
| Linseed, Crushed | — | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lozenges and Tablets | 1 | 17 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 100.0 | 5.8 | 11.1 |
| Magnesia Oil | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Oil, Almond | — | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oil, Castor | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oil, Cod Liver | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oil, Eucalyptus | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ointment, Boric | — | 2 | 2 | ||||||
| Ointment, Calomel | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ointment, Sulphur | — | 2 | 2 | — | |||||
| Ointment, White Precipitate | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ointment, Zinc | — | I | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Paraffin, Liquid | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | _ |
| Powder, Gregory's | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Powder, Liquorice Compound | — | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sal Volatile | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Soda Bicarbonate | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Glauber's Salt | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Carried forward | 3 | 90 | 93 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6.66 | 3.3 | 5.4 |