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94. Adulteration under Sale of Food and Drugs Acts.— Out
of 200 samples taken by Chief Inspector Duck, 12 or 6 per cent
were found adulterated. Proceedings were taken in each
instance and a conviction obtained in every case. The highest
penalty imposed under the Act was £5 or one month's imprisonment
inflicted on George Lambeth of 2, Griffin Eoad, for refusal
to serve milk to the Inspector when required to do so; the
brother, mother and sister of the defendant were at the same
time fined respectively £4, £3, and £2 for obstructing the
Inspector on the occasion of the refusal to serve. F. G. Cock,
of 13, Eaglan Eoad, was fined £4 for selling milk with 22 per
cent of added water and John Rees of 17, Lakedale Eoad, the
same amount for selling as butter a mixture of 7 parts of margarine
with one of butter. The other penalties varied from 5s.
to 40s. and 12s. 6d. costs were allowed in most cases of
adulteration. In one case of milk, in which the Vestry
Analyst's certificate stated that 10 per cent fat was abstracted,
by request of the defendant a sample was sent to Somerset
House, with the result that the Government Analyst found that
16 per cent had been abstracted.
95. The adulterations in 1899 were 7 per cent. of the
samples, and in 1897-8 3½ per cent.
96. Owing to the widespread existence of peripheral neuritis
traced to the presence of arsenic in beer, four specimens of
beer from different breweries were obtained and tested for the
presence of arsenic with the satisfactory result that none were
found contaminated.
As the County Council directed a large number of samples to
be taken from different parts of London it was not considered
necessary to take any more locally.
97. Reidhaven Road District.—The statistics of this district
during the past year are less satisfactory than in the preceding