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pound, and then give a very good profit to the seller. Naturally the public will
not give a high price for Butterine ; hence, to get the higher price, the article
is foisted upon the public as real butter. If sold under its proper name, at a
reasonable price, it would be a great boon to the poor.
In almost all the cases of this adulteration, the vendors were summoned and
fines imposed.
Of the 14 samples of Condensed Milk, 7 were found to be partly skimmed.
On the conviction of the seller of one of these samples, the Magistrate (Mr.
Hannay) referred to certain legal difficulties. Hence, on subsequent prosecutions
for this offence, various points were argued by Counsel before the
Magistrate, the case on behalf of the Vestry being conducted by Mr. Voss.
Unfortunately, the Magistrate ruled that condensed milk being sold in sealed
tins, the vendor, if not the actual preparer of the article, could not know of or
tamper with the contents ; that the vendor was therefore not liable.
Of the 3 samples of Coffee, one contained 60 and the other 75 per cent, of
chicory. The vendors of both of these samples were convicted and fined.
All the samples of fresh Milk were genuine, and of good quality. The
samples of prepared Coffee and Condensed Milk, and that of Cocoa and
Condensed Milk, were free from adulteration. Such articles being ready for
immediate use, and of excellent quality, deserve to be more widely known and
more extensively used.
No less than 56 per cent, of the articles brought to me this quarter have proved
to be adulterated.
The sum of £23 1s. 0d. has been paid into the Vestry's account for fines, each
case also carried its own costs.
Delays in the decision of several cases of prosecution have prevented my laying
this Report before you at an earlier date.
I have the honour to remain
Your obedient Servant,
ALF. W. STOKES,
Public Analyst.
For the Quarter ending September 29th, 1884.
Analytical Laboratory,
Vestry Hall, Harrow Road, W.,
October 22nd, 1884.
To the Vestry of the Parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green.
Chairman and Gentlemen,—During the past quarter, ending September
29th, 1884, there have been submitted to me by your Inspectors only 4 samples
of food for analysis.
Two of these were samples of Milk and two of Coffee.
One sample of Milk contained 12 per cent, of added water. The vendor of
this was prosecuted and fined £1, with costs also. This per centage of added
water is happily much less than has been found in previous cases, only it is not
very satisfactory to find one out of each two samples to be adulterated.
A fair price was paid for the Coffee, and yet one sample was found to contain
half its weight of chicory. In this case the vendor was summoned, and a fine
of £2, with costs, imposed.
Trusting that soon the successful action of the Vestry will make such
adulterated articles more difficult to find,
I remain
Your obedient Servant,
ALF. W. STOKES,
Public Analyst.