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
St James's 1873
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St James's, Westminster]
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41
purchased and examined, none of these exhibited
any kind of adulteration. It is always difficult to
detect the presence of exhausted tea leaves which
have again been prepared by processes similar to
which tea is originally prepared. With regard to
the facing of teas which consist in the addition of
materials to the tea which gives them a more
decidedly black or green appearance; these materials,
although some of them as Indigo and
Prussian Blue, are injurious in themselves are yet
never added in sufficient quantity to produce any
serious effects. These facings may rather be
regarded as materials to make the tea look better
than as materials added to profit the seller, or
calculated to injure the buyer. They are like
coloring matter in confectionery, and brandy and
sugar in port, the purchasers know these things are
present, and would not buy the articles if these
adulterants were absent. Port without brandy
and sugar sweetmeats without colors would not be
acceptable to the British public. Nor would green
tea without facing. In working out the Adulteration
Act in favour of the tradesman, it should never be
forgotten that in many cases the British public
prefer an adulterated to a pure article, acting on
the principle probably, that
" Sure the pleasure is as great,
Of being cheated as to cheat."
Mustard.
From the table it will be seen that eighteen
specimens of mustard have been examined, of these
FOOD ANALYSES.
| No. | Date. | Articles. | Adulteration. | Remarks. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78 | Oct. 18 | Arrowroot | No adulteration | Genuine arrowroot. |
| 70 | „ 18 | „ | ||
| 80 | „ 18 | „ | „ | |
| 81 | ,, 18 | Adulterated | Contained rice starch. | |
| 82 | „ 18 | „ | No adulteration | Genuine arrowroot |
| 83 | „ 18 | „ | Adulterated | Contained wheat flour. |
| 84 | „ 18 | No adulteration | Genuine arrowroot. | |
| 85 | „ 18 | „ | ||
| 86 | „ 18 | |||
| 8 | „ 18 | „ | ||
| 88 | „ 18 | „ | ||
| 89 | „ 18 | „ | ||
| 90 | Nov. 7 | Milk | 8.75 per cent. of cream. | |
| 91 | 7 | „ | Suspected | 6 percent. of cream—vendor cautioned. |
| 92 | „ 10 | Moist sugar | No adulteration | A genuine sugar. |
| 92 | „ 10 | |||
| 93 | „ 10 | |||
| 94 | „ 10 | |||
| 95 | „ 10 | |||
| 96 | ,, 10 | |||
| 97 | ,, 10 | |||
| 98 | 11 | Milk | 13 per cent. of cream. | |
| „ | „ 11 | 9.25 per cent. of cream. | ||
| 100 | ,, 11 | 9 per cent. of cream. | ||
| 101 | ,, 11 | 8 per cent. of cream. | ||
| 102 | „ 11 | 15 per cent. of cream. | ||
| 103 | ,, 15 | Beef sausages | Adulterated | Contained 6 per cent. of bread. |
| 104 | „ 15 | „ | 5.8 per cent. of bread. | |
| 105 | „ 15 | „ | 5.5 per cent. of bread. | |
| 106 | ,, 15 | „ | 7.4 per cent. of bread. | |
| 10 | „ 15 | „ | „ | 4.10 per cent. of bread. |
| 108 | „ 18 | Pork sausages | „ | „ |
| 109 | „ 18 | „ | „ | 3.8 per cent. of bread. |
| 110 | „ 18 | „ | „ | 1.2 per cent.of bread. |
| 111 | „ 18 | „ | 3.2 per cent. of bread. | |
| 112 | „ 25 | Milk | Suspected | 7.75 per cent. of cream. |
| 113 | 26 | Tobacco | No adulteration | Genuine. |
| 114 | Dec. 4 | Soda water | Residue 8 grs. | Ought to contain at least 10 grains of carbonate of soda a bottle. |
| 115 | 4 | Residue 9-2 grs. | „ „ | |
| 116 | ., 16 | Residue 9-2 grs. | „ „ „ | |
| 117 | ,, 16 | Residue 2-1 grs. | „ „ „ | |
| 118 | ,, 20 | Residue 6'4 grs. | „ „ „ | |
| 119 | „ 20 | Residue 3 grs. | „ „ „ |