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
Stepney 1911
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]
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100
Powders, 3 Jams, 1 Golden Syrup, 1 Wine, 3 Bees Waxes, 11 Blaud's Pills,
2 crushed linseed.
139 Samples, or 11.1 per cent, were found to be adulterated. These consisted
of:—107 Milks, 1 Separated Milk, 1 Skimmed Milk, 15 Butters, 3 Cocoas, 3 Coffees,
1 Pepper, 1 Bees Wax, 7 Blaud's Pills.
Proceedings were taken in 73 cases.
The total fines secured on the prosecutions was £315 4s. 0d., and
£68 8s. 6d. was allowed in costs.
The average fine secured on the piosecutions was £4 6s. 4¼d.
Compared with the last io years, the adulteration, &c., was as follows:—
| YEAR. | Samples Examined. | Number Adulterated. | Number of Prosecutions. | Percentage of Adulteration. | percentage of Prosecutions. | Amount secured in Fines. | Average Fines. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | s. | d | £ | s. | d | ||||||
| 1902 | 1187 | 260 | 118 | 21.9 | 99 | 220 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 4 |
| 1903 | 1171 | 214 | 88 | 18.3 | 7.5 | 175 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 11½ |
| 1904 | 1191 | 190 | 58 | 15.9 | 4.9 | 131 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 4¼ | |
| 1905 | 1176 | 187 | 76 | 15.9 | 6.5 | 137 | 11 | i | | 16 | 2¼ | |
| 1906 | 1147 | 241 | 122 | 21.0 | 10.6 | 252 | 3 | o | 1 | 4 | |
| 1907 | 1208 | 219 | 77 | 18.1 | 6.4 | 129 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 6 | |
| 1908 | 1210 | 190 | 84 | 15.7 | 7.0 | 301 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 8½ |
| 1909 | 1203 | 140 | 75 | 11.6 | 6.2 | 342 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 3½ |
| 1910 | 1222 | 155 | 75 | 12.7 | 6.1 | 298 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 8 |
| 1911 | 1257 | 139 | 73 | 11.1 | 5.8 | 315 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 | |
| Average for the 10 years | 1197 | 193 | 85 | 16.2 | 7.1 | 230 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 16 | 3¼ |
Sunday Samples.
96 Samples were taken on 17 Sundays, 95 Milks and 1 Butters; 13 Milks and
the Butter were adulterated, and 8 prosecutions resulted. The adulteration of
Sunday samples was at the rate of 14.6 per cent.
Unofficial Samples.
232 Samples which were purchased formally by the Inspectors were examined.
These consisted of 61 Milks, 147 Butters, 1 Margarine, 3 Coffees, 1 Bread, 1 Ground
Almonds, 16 Blaud's Pills, 1 Camphorated Oil, 1 Bees Wax. Of these, 93 samples,
or 40T per cent., were found to be adulterated consisting of :—36 Milks, 49 Butters,
5 Blaud's Pills, 1 Bees Wax, 2 Coffees.