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48
TO CHRISTMAS, 1887.
Analytical Laboratory,
Vestry Hall, Harrow Road, W.,
February 15 th, 1888.
To the Vestry of the Parish of St. Matthew, Bettinal Green.
Chairman and Gentlemen,—I have only to-day received from
your Inspector a return of the results of the prosecutions under the
Adulteration Act for the Quarter ending December 25th, 1887 ; hence
the delay in presenting to you my Report.
During the past Quarter 12 samples were submitted to me for
analysis; all these were samples of Milk; 7 of them were adulterated
by the addition of from 6 to 23 per Cent. of water. In the case
where only 6 per Cent. of water was added the vendor was cautioned,
but in all the other cases of adulteration proceedings were taken, and
fines varying from £2 to £4 were in each case imposed.
In one of the genuine samples about 6 per Cent. of cream more
than the average proportion was found, here probably the vendor
suspected the purpose for which the sample was bought, and added a
quantity of cream to make the milk safe.
A total of £18 was ordered to be paid into the Vestry's account
for fines during the Quarter.
A short summary of the work of the whole year 1887 may be of
interest. A total of 140 samples has been analyzed, 52 of these, or
37 per cent., proved to be adulterated. The articles consisted of Milk,
86 samples ; Pepper, 23; Mustard, 21; and Butter, 10.
Of the Milk samples, 38 were adulterated; that is 44 per cent.,
or nearly half of the Milk samples purchased by the Inspectors proved
to be watered.
Of the Pepper samples, 10 contained rice or ground olive stones,
giving 43 per Cent. of adulterated samples.
Of the Butters, 3 samples, or 30 per cent., contained no real
butter.