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
Mitcham 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Mitcham]
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Seventy-one informal samples were taken as follows:—
| Milk | 3 | Coffee Extract | 5 |
| Sponge and Pudding Mixtures | 3 | Bicarbonate of Soda | 1 |
| Chocolate, Cocoa | 1 | ||
| Mixed Spice | 1 | Jam | 2 |
| Baking Powder | 4 | Self-raising Flour | 1 |
| Black Pepper | 1 | Swiss Roll | 1 |
| Pickles, Sauces, etc. | 5 | Saccharine Tablets | 2 |
| Meat and Fish Pastes, Sandwich Spreads | 8 | Meat Cubes | 2 |
| Sage and Onion Stuffing | 2 | ||
| Coconut Essence | 1 | Gelatine | 1 |
| Soup Powder | 1 | Foam Crystals | 1 |
| Beecham's Powders | 1 | Coffee & Chicory Cubes | 1 |
| Ice Cream | 14 | Junket Powder Rennet | 8 |
| Pastry Mixture | 1 | Peppermint Flavouring | 1 |
| Custard Powder | 1 | Herbs | 1 |
| Ground Ginger | 1 | Gravy Browning | 1 |
All samples, with the exception of two were satisfactory.
One formal sample of South Devon Milk was found to be deficient
in fat and this result was passed to the Ministry of Food. One
informal sample of jam was found to have 20 per cent, instead of
30 per cent, fruit content. A warning letter was sent to the
manufacturer of this jam. A further formal sample of jam was
taken and was reported genuine.
Food and Drugs Act, 1938.
Legal proceedings were taken against a shopkeeper selling
unsound meat pies. The Justices fined the shopkeeper £5 with
costs of £13 18s. Legal proceedings were also taken against a
baker for selling a bakewell tart containing a nail. The Justices
fined the baker £5 with £3 3s. costs.
Ice-Cream
Four premises in the Borough are registered for the manufacture
of ice-cream, and fifty-four for the storage of ice-cream. One
hundred and fifty-five visits were paid during the year.
Seventy-eight samples of ice-cream were taken and examined
for bacteriological purity. Twenty-six were also tested for fat
content. The results are tabulated below:—