Annual report of the public analyst appointed for the parish of Kensington for the year ended 31st March, 1889.

  • Cassal, Charles E.
Date:
1889
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the public analyst appointed for the parish of Kensington for the year ended 31st March, 1889. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Anahjtieal Results.—In considering the results recorded in Table VII., it should be borne in mind that they were calculated upon the lowest limits which were consistent with the analytical data obtained. This fact adds considerably to the significance of the figures. In view of the variability in the composition of milk, and in the absence of any legal limits below which the percentages of Total Solid Matter, of Milk Fat, and of other ‘‘proximate” constituents, should not be allowed to fall, it becomes a matter of necessity to calculate U])on low standards of quality, and to certify to minimum percentages when dealing with such adulterations as the admixture of Water or the abstraction of Milk Fat. The fixing of statutory limits for natural products liable to vary some- what widely in composition, presents many difficulties, but these are not to be looked upon as insuperable. Such limits have been fixed by some Governments abn^ad, a])parently with much benefit : in this country they would, of course, involve certain modifications of, and additions to, the existing Law, and would, no doubt, cast further duties upon Inspectors The first mentioned case of adulteration (Table VII.) is the worst that has been detected in the parish in mv experience. Profits of MUk Adulteration.—In the last Report of the Local Government Board (1887) the following remarks are made upon the subject of Milk “ The ease and the profit of milk adulteration are so considerable that the practice will not be easily suppressed. Assuming that the retailer buys milk at Is. a gallon and retails it at 4d. a quart, his legitimate profit is 4d. a gallon ; but by adding one-eighth of water he makes nine pints out of every gallon, and thus his profit of 4d. is increased to (id., a clear gain of 50 per cent. He can thus afford to pay fines, and go on adulterating.” The fallacy of drawing conclusions as to the seriousness of adulteration from what api)ear to be small percentages has been pointed out in j)rev!ous Reports to your A estry. d he Board’s very apt and simple illustration renders this fallacy still more obvious.
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