View report page

30
For the Quarter ending 25th December, with a resume of the work
done during the whole year.
Analytical Laboratory,
Vestry Hall, Harrow Road, W.,
January 13th, 1885.
To the Vestry of the Parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green.
Chairman and Gentlemen,—During the past quarter your Inspectors
have submitted to me for analysis a total of 7 samples of food.
These were all samples of Milk : no less than 6 of them had been diluted with
from 30 to 14 per cent, of water. The vendors of 5 of these samples were
prosecuted, and fines amounting to a total of £8 were imposed, as well as
costs. So far as the percentage of adulterated samples is concerned, this is the
worst quarter I have known, since it shows over 85 per cent, of adulterated
samples.
A short review of the analytical work of the year may prove of interest.
During the whole year 1884, a total of 82 samples of food were examined; of
these no less than 50, or almost 61 per cent, were adulterated.
The 82 samples consisted of 34 Butters, 27 Milks, 14 Condensed Milks,
5 Coffees, 1 sample of Condensed Milk with Cocoa, and 1 of Condensed Milk
with Coffee.
Of the 34 samples of Butter, 22 were adulterated. Only 1 of the adulterated
samples contained any butter at all : the rest were mixtures of beef-fat, with a
little salt and curd. They were perfectly wholesome, and if sold for a fair price
as "Butterine" would be a great boon to the poor. However, they were sold
as " Butter," and a high price was charged.
Amongst the 27 samples of Milk no less than 18 had been watered, or both
watered and skimmed. One sample contained as much as 40 per cent, of added
water. Considering that milk of good quality contains usually about 88 per
cent, of natural water, it is very evident how serious a thing this too-prevalent
custom of watering milk must be. In the able report just issued by your
Medical Officer it is stated that" no less than 27.7 per cent, of the deaths from
all causes were those of infants aged less than 12 months." Far the largest
portion of these died from Atrophy and Debility ; while" more than half the
deaths (51.3 per cent.) were those of children less than 5 years old." Knowing
how important pure food is to those of such tender age, it is not at all unreasonable
to suspect that this wholesale watering of so necessary an article of
food may have some influence upon this heavy death rate.
Of the 14 Condensed Milks, 7 samples did not contain the proper proportion
of cream.
Three out of the 5 samples of Coffee contained Chicory: in one case as much
as 75 per cent, was present.
The samples of mixed Milk and Coffee and Condensed Milk and Cocoa were
genuine and wholesome articles of food.
The vendors of the adulterated samples were prosecuted, and fines, with costs,
imposed in all cases but those of the condensed milks. In these the Magistrate
held that the substance being in a sealed can the vendor could not be held
liable.
The sum of £52 5s. was paid into the Vestry's account for fines.
The whole parish owes much to the Sanitary Committee for the efforts they
have made to secure some measure of purity in the articles retailed in the
parish. Their Inspectors have been very exact in carrying out their part of the
Adulteration Act. Appending a tabulated list of the articles analyzed last
quarter,
I have the honour to be, Gentlemen,
Your most obedient servant,
ALF. W. STOKES,
Public Analyst.