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 1908
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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The results of the year's work are summarised in the following table:—
| Quarter of the year 1908. | Number of Samples taken. | Number of Samples Adulterated. | Percentage Adulterated. | N umber of Prosecutions Instituted. | Prosecutions withdrawn because of Warranties, &c. | Prosecutions proceeded with. | N umber of successful Prosecutions. | Fines and Costs. | Amount paid to Analyst for samples analysed | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | s. | d. | £ | 8. | d | ||||||||
| 1st. | 132 | 27 | 20.8% | 12 | — | 12 | 10 | 46 | 9 | 0 | 66 | 0 | 0 |
| 2nd. | 127 | 19 | 14.9% | 15 | — | 15 | 13 | 39 | 12 | 6 | 63 | 10 | 0 |
| 3rd. | 102 | 12 | 11.7% | 4 | — | 4 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 51 | 0 | 0 |
| 4th. | 219 | 34 | 15.5% | 14 | — | 14 | 14 | 36 | 16 | 6 | 109 | 10 | 0 |
| Total) for Year ) | 580 | 92 | 15.8% | 45 | — | 45 | 39 | 132 | 3 | 0 | 290 | 0 | 0 |
The samples taken comprised 352 of milk, 180 of butter, 8 margarine,
6 mustard, 5 coffee, 5 cheese, 4 cocoa, 3 pepper, 3 sausage, 2 samples each of
lard, arrowroot, olive oil, kidneys and flour, and one sample each of separated
milk, ice.cream, carbonate of soda, and carbonate of potash.
1904, and 22.0 in 1903. In the subjoined table are shown the numbers of samples of milk taken during the four quarters of the year, with the numbers and percentages of those found not to be genuine : —
| Quarter of the year. | Number of Samples. | Number not genuine. | Percentage not genuine. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st. | 76 | 20 | 26.3 |
| 2nd. | 90 | 14 | 15.5 |
| 3rd. | 65 | 8 | 12.3 |
| 4th....... | 121 | 21 | 18.1 |
In 33 of the samples of milk water was certified to have been added
In 8 the amount was over 5 per cent, in excess of the standard of the Board
of Agriculture, and in 25 it was less than 5 per cent. In 26 of the samples
(he milk was deficent in butter fat, the deficiency being over 5 per cent, below
the standard in 19 of the samples, and under that amount in the remainder.