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 1920
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]
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| 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | 1920. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Samples | ||||||
| Percentage of Adulteration |
Last year shows a large improvement in the milk supply of the borough.
Roughly, one sample in seventeen was adulterated, compared with one in six in
1918, and one in twelve in 1919.
In spite of the improvement the above figures show that there is still a great
deal of tampering with milk in the borough. A simple calculation will make this
more evident:—Assuming that each person in Stepney uses a quarter of a pint of
milk per day, and that 5.7 per cent. of this milk is adulterated, with 10 per cent. of
either water or separated milk, then about 18,000 gallons of either water or separated
milk are sold annually as new milk.
A similar calculation indicates that about 800 gallons of water or separated
milk was supplied as milk under the Council's Milk Distribution Scheme last year.
The average composition of all the samples of milk analysed for each month of the year is given in Table F.
| Period. | Average Composition of all (858) Samples. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Solids. per cent. | Solids not Fat. per cent. | Fat. per cent. | |
| January | 12.72 | 9.10 | 3.62 |
| February | 12.67 | 9.17 | 3.50 |
| March | 12.31 | 8.88 | 3.43 |
| April | 12.37 | 8.92 | 3.45 |
| May | 12.13 | 8.68 | 3.45 |
| June | 12.14 | 8.75 | 3.39 |
| July | 12.25 | 8.70 | 3.55 |
| August | 12.45 | 8.79 | 3.66 |
| September | 12.51 | 8.74 | 3.77 |
| October | 12.63 | 8.79 | 3.84 |
| November | 12.62 | 8.76 | 3.86 |
| December | 12.36 | 8.60 | 3.76 |
| 12.40 | 8.81 | 3.59 | |
| 11.50 | 8.50 | 3.00 | |