View report page

38.
The Shoreditch Borough Council may well be proud of the fact that they
were one of the pioneers in providing free washing facilities to the public
at sanitary conveniences, as it now appears that this facility is being
provided more or less on a national basis by other local authorities.
The value of free facilities to wash the hands after using the water
closet has been proved to be a sound preventative in the transference of
infection.
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF FOOD.
367 Samples were submitted to the Public Analyst during the year, giving
a rate of 8.0 per 1,000 population.
These were as follows
Almond oil 1, Arrowroot 4, Aspirin tablets 4, Blancmange powder 6,
Boric acid ointment 4, Bread 6, Butter 3, Cake and pudding
mixtures 9, Castor oil 4, Cocoa 3, Coffee 1, Coffee extract 6,
Chocolate 1, Cooking fats 2, Epsom salts 2, Fish paste 5,
Flour 6, Fruit curd 1, Gelatine 1, Glauber salts 1,
Glycerine 1, Golden raising pcwrder 1, Gravy preparation 1,
Ice cream 11, Ice lollies 7, Iodine tincture 1, Jam 11,
Jelly crystals and tablets 8, Margarine 1, Marmalade 3, Meat,
canned 2, Meat paste 3, Meat products 34, Milk 116, Milk,
condensed 22, Milk, dried 3, Mincemeat 9, Mustard 1,
Paraffin, medicinal 1, Pepper 1, Pickles 8, Sauce IB,
Soda, bicarbonate 2, Soft drinks 5, Soup, canned 9, Spice 1,
Tea 10, Vegetables, canned 1, Vinegar 9.
Of the 116 samples of milk taken, 2 were found to contain added water,
but in each case this was only to the extent of less than 1 per oent.
Warning letters were sent to the wholesalers.
Two ice lollies were found to contain excessive lead, and this information
was passed to the Local Authority of the area in which they were
manufactured.
The hollow interior of a chocolate "Dutch Doll" was found to be
contaminated by insect webbing and droppings, and contained a small ohrysalis
in its cocoon. The remainder of the stock was surrendered and destroyed.
An informal sample of gelatine was found to contain excessive zinc, but
a formal sample could not be obtained as no stock remained.
Informal sample of vinegar was found to be deficient in acetic acid, but
formal sample taken was found to be genuine.
Warning letters were sent to manufacturers in respect of minor adulterations
and irregularities in table jellies, and to vendors in respect of
mincemeat.