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
Shoreditch 1905
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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58
In the cases in which convictions were obtained the penalties for milk adulteration
amounted to £45 2s., which is equivalent to 7.8 per cent. of the full amount of
the penalties to which the defendants were liable, as compared with 6 per cent. in
1904, 8 in 1903, and 13.5 per cent. in 1902. Taking the fines and costs, which together
amounted to £60 15s. 8d., the average amount paid by a defendant upon conviction
was £2 19s. 3d., as compared with £2 6s. 10d. in 1904, £1 18s. 6d. in
1903, and £2 18s. Od. in 1902.
Of the samples of butter taken, 25, or nearly 14 per cent., were not genuine. The numbers of samples and percentages of those found adulterated during the four quarters of the year are shown below:—
| Quarter of the year. | Number of Samples. | Number not genuine. | Percentage adulterated. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st. | 51 | 7 | 13.9% |
| 2nd. | 35 | 8 | 22.8% |
| 3rd. | 27 | 5 | 18.5% |
| 4th. | 67 | 5 | 7.4% |
Of the adulterated samples 21 of the 25 were stated by the analyst to have been
margarine, and in 23 of the 25 samples traces of boric acid were found.
Legal proceedings were taken in 24 instances, or 96 per cent. of the cases where
the samples were found adulterated, and in each case a conviction was obtained.
Two samples were taken under the Margarine Act. In the case of one of these
the vendor was summonsed for selling margarine without a properly stamped wrapper.
The case was proved, but the magistrate did not regard the offence as a serious one,
and imposed no penalty, only allowing the Council 2s. costs.
The penalties inflicted in the cases in which convictions were obtained with respect
to the samples of butter and margarine amounted to ,£163 1s. 0d., which was equivalent
to 17 per cent. of the full penalties to which the defendants were liable, as compared
with 10 per cent. in 1904, 18 in 1903, and 17 in 1902. Including costs, the
amounts imposed by the magistrates for each conviction averaged £7 1s. 0d., as compared
with £3 1s. Od. in 1904, £4 10s. Od. 1903, and £4 10s. 0d. in 1902. In,
several of the cases in which proceedings were taken during 1905 there had been previous
convictions.
Five samples of sausages, one of German and four of beef, were submitted for
analysis. The German sausage contained 11 grains of boric acid per pound, and
three of the beef 7, 18 and 35 grains per pound respectively. In the cases of these
sausages containing boric acid, summonses were applied for against the vendors. In
granting the summonses, however, the magistrate intimated that he would not hear the
cases, until an appeal against a conviction obtained by a neighbouring sanitary authority
in a similar case had been settled. In view of the long delay likely to ensue before