STJAM 3 REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1899, made to the Vestry of Saint James's, WESTMINSTER, by JAMES EDMUNDS, M.D., Member of the Royal College of Physicians of London. Member of the Society of Public Analysts. Fellow of the Chemical Society. &c., &c., &c. MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH and PUBLIC ANALYST FOR ST. JAMES'S, WESTMINSTER, London: PRINTED BY GEORGE PULMAN AND SONS, LTD. Thayer Street, Manchester Square, W. 1900. CONTENTS. I.—PUBLIC HEALTH. pages. General Report for the year 1899 5-11 Appendix of Tables. PAGES. 1. Summary of Causes of Death (Tables A and B) 12-15 2. Cases of Notifiable Infectious Diseases 16-26 3. Sanitary Inspectors' Work 27-29 4. Summary of Sanitary Inspectors' Work 30 5. Underground Rooms cleared of Occupants 31 II.—PUBLIC ANALYSIS. Report on Articles Analysed during the year 1899 33 Special Report on Vinegars 34-47 Appendix. Table of Articles and Results of Analyses 48-49 5 TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS of the Vestry of Saint James's, Westminster. Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, I submit my Annual Report for the year 1899, upon the Public Health of the Parish of St. James's, Westminster. This Report is the twenty-sixth which I have had the honour to prepare for the Parish of St. James's. Eighteen Annual Reports had previously been prepared by Dr. Edwin Lankester, F.R.S.—my predecessor in this office. The area and population to which this Report relates are summarized in the following table: — Area in Acres 162 Population. Mean Density of Population per Acre. Census, 1831 37,053 229 ,, 1841 37,398 231 ,, 1851 36,406 225 ,, 1861 35,326 218 ,, 1871 33,619 214 ,, 1881 29,865 184 „ 1891 24,995 154 ,, 1896 23,050 142 fn Registration London the average density of the population for 1896 is given by the Registrar-General as 59-2 persons per acre. In the District of St. James's, conditions obtain which render it impracticable to determine annually the flow of the numbers of the population, except by actual 6 enumeration. The figures tabulated on the preceding page show, by the numbers found in the various census enumerations from 1831 to 1896, that the population of St. James's has for a long period steadily decreased. This decrease is due to the great value of land in the area of St. James's, to the progressive conversion of tenement and other dwelling houses into shops and warehouses—and into workshops directly ancillary to the trade of St. James's. Extrusion of the residential population follows. This extrusion is progressive. At the same time there are constant importations of foreign workmen, and the pressure of the population upon the house accommodation in St. James's is so great as to have raised, continuously and largely, the cost of rent. The allocation of valuable areas in St. James's for the dwellings of the Working Classes, will become less and less practicable if the commercial value of such sites is to govern the rents paid for the tenements. Suburban villages, properly supplied with air and light and open spaces, and made accessible from business centres by means of cheap trams and railways, would enable the rental question to be met in the best way. Block Dwellings in such an area as St. James's do not provide the conditions in which healthy children can be reared, nor in which there can be a family life comparable with that possible in the open suburbs of London. The following table shows the annual numbers of deaths and the net death-rates for the year 1899 and the 25 preceding years—upon the basis of the several census enumerations:— 7 Year. Number of Deaths. Enumerated Population. Death Rate per 1000. Gross Net 1874 635 592 33,500 18.00 1875 686 621 33,500 18.50 1876 621 573 33,500 17.10 1877 554 517 33,500 15.40 1878 693 647 33,500 19.00 1879 608 568 33,500 17.00 1880 623 589 33,500 17.60 1881 569 545 29,865 18.22 1882 538 505 29,865 17.00 1883 527 501 29,865 16.80 1884 486 476 29,865 15.94 1885 476 451 29,865 15.10 1886 493 450 29,865 15.07 1887 463 426 29,865 14.26 1888 427 386 29,865 12.96 1889 373 314 29,865 10.51 1890 369 340 29,865 11.38 1891 541 493 24,993 19.73 1892 493 446 24,993 17.83 1893 515 470 24,993 18.80 1894 429 390 24,993 15.64 1895 458 407 24,993 16.28 1896 440 396 23,050 17.18 1897 427 388 23,050 16.83 1898 440 408 23,050 17.70 1899 439 387 23,050 16.79 8 During the year 1899, the net mortality of the district of St. James's has been 387 deaths. Taking the population as enumerated in the census of 1896, we have 23,050 persons, with 387 deaths—a death-rate of 1679 for each 1,000 persons sleeping in St James's. The figures for the net mortality of St. James's are obtained by taking the deaths registered in St. James's, adding to this number the deaths in other places of persons removed from St. James's, and then subtracting the deaths registered in St. James's of persons who were noted as non-parishioners by the Registrar. This procedure is as follows :— 328 + 111 — 52 = 387 net mortality. These mortality data are shown in greater detail for the year, 1899, in the following figures:— The deaths registered as having occurred in St. James's, for the four quarters of the year, were as follows: — First Quarter 116 Second Quarter 57 Third Quarter 63 Fourth Quarter 92 Deaths registered in St. James's during the year 328 Add deaths in outlying institutions among persons removed from St. James's 111 Gross Mortality 439 Deduct deaths of persons reported as NonParishioners :— Dying in the Union House 40 Dying in Throat Hospital 7 Dying elsewhere 5 52 Net mortality of St, James's for the year 1899 387 9 Of the 52 deaths of non-parishioners, 4 were of children under one year of age, and 22 were of persons ranging from 65 to 95. During the year 1899, 27 bodies were removed into the Mortuary. Eighteen inquests were held upon bodies lying in the Mortuary, and 19 post-mortem examinations for judicial purposes were made in the Examination Room adjoining the Mortuary. The following Table gives a summary of the certified causes of death, during the year 1899, among persons dying in outlying places, after having been removed from the district of St. James, Westminster: — Accidental Injury 2 Apoplexy 1 Brain Disease 3 Bronchitis 7 Cancer 8 Diphtheria 1 Diarrhoea 1 Enteric Fever 1 Enteritis 4 Heart Disease 12 Meningitis 1 Old Age 2 Other Diseases 33 Paralysis 3 Phthisis 15 Pneumonia 7 Suicide 3 Tuberculosis 7 111 10 Of the notifiable Infectious Diseases, 144 cases came under notice during the year 1899. Of these 144 cases,'50 were of Scarlet Fever; 39 were of Diphtheria; 21 were of Erysipelas; and 34 were of Enteric Fever. Of the 144 cases, 108 were removed to Extra-Parochial Hospitals ; 36 of the cases were not removed. Details of these 144 cases are appended in Table II (pages 16 to 26). Tables of the causes of death and other data for the year 1899 are appended. The births registered in St. James's during the year 1899 were 435. Of these 435 births, 36 occurred in the Union House. The Parish has been visited by no epidemic during the year 1899. During the year 1899, 138 houses in the poorer quarters of St. James's have been visited and inspected—mostly apart from any direct complaint against these particular houses. In no case has admission been refused. Tenement houses about which any difficulty occurs as to their sanitary condition are registered so as to be kept under efficient control. Few or none of the tenement houses in St. James's fall below £100 a year in annual value. In the south-western part of St. James's the lodging-houses are private hotels or houses of an altogether different character to those contemplated in the Bye-laws els to the registration of " Houses let in Lodgings, or occupied by Members of more than one family." WATER SUPPLIES. Samples of water from the mains of the four companies which supply the various portions of St. James's have been frequently examined throughout the year. Occasional 11 samples have been faintly yellowish in tint, but the samples have been bright and free from pollution, and, in general, fairly colourless. UNFAVOURABLE CONDITIONS. In the north-eastern quarter of St. James's, the old back streets, the old brewery, and the old workhouse on its extensive and most valuable site, remain as described in my Report for the year 1896 (pages 21, 22, and 23), and again in my Report for the year 1898 (pages 33, 34, and 35). Rebuilding continues to go on upon the old streets, and each year it will become more and more costly to open up and fully utilize this important and very valuable area. Mr. John Percy Folland and Mr. Thomas Winter Calverley, the Sanitary Inspectors, have given me cordial and efficient assistance in sanitary work. During the year 1899, the sanitary work of the Parish has been efficiently done. The duties of Medical Officer of Health have been discharged by me throughout the whole of the year. I have to thank the Vestry of St. James's, and its Public Health Committee, for a generous continuance of the encouragement and support always given to me in the sanitary work of the Parish, and in the administrative questions which arise. 12 13 Table A.—DEATHS registered during the year 1899 in the Parish of St. James, Westminster—a Metropolitan District. Classified according to Diseases, Ages, and Localities. Localities. Mortality from all causes, at subjoined ages. Mortality prom subjoined, causes—distinguishing deaths op children under five. At all Ages. Under 1. ; 1-5. 5-15. 16—25. 25—65. 65 and upwards. Ages. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Small-Pox. Scarlet Fever. Diphtheria. Membranous Croup. Fevers. Measles. Whooping Cough. Diarrhoea and Dysentery. Rheumatic Fever. Phthisis. Bronchitis, Pneumonia, and Pleurisy. Heart Disease. Cancer. * Injuries. All other Diseases. Total. Typhus. Enteric. § Continued. Relapsing. Puerperal. Cholera. Erysipelas. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) Parish of St. James (minus Union-House and Throat Hospital) 221 59 11 4 6 96 45 Under 5. .. 1 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 6 8 1 12 1 .. .. 36 69 5 upwds. .. .. 1 .. .. 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 20 48 19 12 3 45 152 Westminster UnionHouse, Poland St. 100 6 1 .. .. 29 64 Under 5 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 .. .. 1 .. .. .. 4 7 5 upwds. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 .. 3 25 10 1 1 51 93 Throat Hospital, Golden Square 7 1 1 1 4 .. Under 5 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 5 upwds. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. 5 6 Totals 328 65 13 5 7 129 109 Under 5 .. 1 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 6 10 .. 1 13 1 .. .. 41 77 5 upwds. .. .. 1 .. .. 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 1 23 73 29 14 4 101 251 The subjoined numbers have also to be taken into account in judging of the above records of Mortality. Deaths occurring outside the district among persons belonging thereto † 111 4 5 5 8 74 15 Under 5 .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 5 8 5 upwds. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. 19 16 12 8 8 4 42 103 Deaths occur'g within the district among persons not belonging thereto 52 4** 2 1 2 21** 22 Under 5 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 .. 1 .. .. .. 3 6 5 upwds .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 .. 1 10 7 2 1 23 46 * In the model form the heading of column 19 is left blank for the insertion of any other disease which it may be thought desirable to record. I have inserted " Cancer " Two extra columns might well be devoted to the tabulation of " Malignant Growths," and of " Tuberculous Diseases "; but, for this, a greater precision is needed than at present obtains in the Certificates s to the Causes of Death. ‡ The term "Scarlatina" often suggests that the cases are not infectious. As this is a dangerous mistake, Scarlet Fever is the only term used. § Enteric Fever is also called "Typhoid." The term Typhoid arose from the supposition that this fever was akin to Typhus. It is now known to be a distinct fever, generally marked by an affection of the lining membrane of the intestine, which is as characteristic as is the affection of the skin in Small-Pox. It is described here as Enteric tever. † More precisely, these figures are of "persons removed from St. James's." Some of these were more or less casually in the Parish, and are not fairly described as " belonging thereto." ** Including 4 deaths in Union House of persons of unknown address. 14 15 Table B.—POPULATION, BIRTHS, AND NEW CASES OF INFECTIOUS SICKNESS coming to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health, during the year 1899, in the Parish or St. James's, Westminster—a Metropolitan District. Classified according to Diseases, Ages, and Localities. Localities. Population at all Agks. Registered births. Infectious Sicknkss Reported in each locality. Infectious casks removed to extka-parochial hospitals. Ages. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Totals. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Totals. Census 1891. Census 1896. Smallpox. Scarlet Fever. Diphtheria. Membranous Croup. Fevers. Fevers. Cholera. Erysipelas. Smallpox. Scarlet Fever. Diphtheria. Membranous. Croup. Fevers. Cholera. j Erysipelas. Typhus. Enteric. Continued. Relapsing. Puerperal. Typhus. Enteric. Continued Relapsing. Puerperal. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Parish of St. James (minus Union-House and Throat Hospital) ... ... 399 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 37 ... 10 20 ... ... 2 ... ... ... ... ... 32 5 upwards ... 37 18 ... ... 32 ... ... ... ... 20 107 ... 35 14 ... ... 22 ... ... ... ... 4 75 Westminster Union— House, Poland Street ... ... 36 Under 5 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 upwards ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Throat Hospital, Golden Square ... ... ... Under 5 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 upwards ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Parish of St. James's 24,995 23,050 435 Under 5 ... 13 21 ... ... 2 ... ... ... ... 1 371 144 ... 10 20 ... ... 2 ... ... ... ... ... 32 107 5 upwards ... 37 18 ... ... 32 ... ... ... ... 20 107 ... 35 14 ... ... 22 ... ... ... ... 4 76 "Notification of Infectious Disease" has been compulsory in the District since October, 1889. The Isolation Hospitals used by the sick are all outside the Parish. They are the various Hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board. To these Isolation Hospitals go of the above removals took place, while 27 went to other extra parochial Hospitals (vide page 8 and Table II.). Many such cases in St. James's, again, are not completely described as " removed from their homes." To meet these facts and to increase the clearness of Tables A and B, I have slightly altered the wording of certain headings and the ruling of certain compartments. In the preparation of the above Tables A and B, as prescribed by Sec. 15 of Article 18 of the Order of the Local Government Board, I have given attention to the annotations which are endorsed upon the Model Forms.—J. E, 16 APPENDIX TO REPORT OF MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH. Table II.— Cases of Infectious Diseases notifiable under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, Sec. 55, and coming to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health during the year 1899. No of Case. Date. Address. Sex. Age. Disease. Removed to. Patient's Occupation. Parent's Occupation. Remarks. 1 Jan. 2 5, Downs place. Wardour street Male 32 years Typhoid Fever Fulham Hospital Tailor Died Jan. 11 1899 2 6 6, Downs place Male 6 years Enteric Fever Stockwell Hospital Scholar Carman 3 2 11 & 12, Charles street Male 2G years Facial Erysipelas St. George's Hospital Club Servant 4 7 35, St. James's place Male 36 years Typhoid Fever Not removed Gentleman 5 11 13, Marlborough mews Female 50 years Facial Erysipelas Not removed Wife of a Carman 6 20 44, Piccadilly Male 31 years Enteric Eever Fulham Hospital Caretaker 7 20 36, Bury street Male 38 years Typhoid Fever Not removed Tea Planter Died Jan. 22 1899 8 25 4, St. James's market Female 38 years Enteric Fever Charing Cross Hospital Wife of a Tailor 9 30 3, Downs place Male 9 years 10 months Typhoid Fever Stockwell Hospital Scholar Painter 10 Feb. 7 89, Berwick street Male 32 years Erysipelas Not removed Tailor 11 9 41, Broad street Female 5 years Scarlatina Haverstock Hill Hospital Scholar Waiter 12 11 7, Argyll street Female Erysipelas Union House Infirmary, Poland street Wife of a Caretaker 17 13 Feb. 13 37, Broad street Male 40 years Typhoid Fever Middlesex Hospital Caretaker Died 14 16 19, Lexington street Female 14 years Diphtheria Not removpd Scholar Boot Closer 15 17 3, Downs place Female 4 years Typhoid Fever Havers tock Hill Hospital Scholar Painter 16 27 13, Marshall street Male 7 years Scarlet Fever London Fever Hospital Scholar Coffee-house Keeper 17 28 1, Little Argyll street Male 28 years Erysipelas Cleveland street Infy. Porter 18 Mar. 2 13, Livonia street Male 9 years Scarlet Fever Fulham Hospital Scholar Bootmaker 19 3 23, William and Mary yard Female 6 months Diphtheria Haverstock Hill Hospital Nil Stableman 20 14 27, Peter street Male 7 years Diphtheria Not removed Scholar Baker 21 20 9, Air street Male 6 months Diphtheria Not removed Nil Police Constable Died 22 21 1, Edward street Female 6 years Diphtheria Stockwell Hospital Scholar Bootmaker 23 21 36, Little Pulteney street Female 5 years Diphtheria Fulham Hospital Nil Tailor 24 21 27, Portland street Fe m ale 39 years Erysipelas Not removed Nil 25 22 11 & 12, Charles street Male 15 years Diphtheria Fulham Hospital Page 26 24 62, St. James's residences, Little Pulteney street Female 4¾ years Scarlet Fever Fulham Hospital Nil Printer 27 30 9, Downs Place Male 1¾ years Scarlet Fever Fulham Hospital Nil Hawker 28 April 5 17, Little Pulteney street Male 56 years Erysipelas Not removed Tailor 18 APPENDIX TO REPORT OF MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH. Table II.— Cases of Infectious Diseases notifiable under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, Sec 55, and coming to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health during the year 1899—continued. No.of Case Date. Address. Sex. Age. D'eease. Removed to. Patient's Occupation. Parent's Occupation. Remarks 29 Apl. 15 1, Broad street buildings, Broad street Male 5 years Scarlet Fever Fulham Hospital Scholar Tailor 30 17 11 and 12, Charles street Male 21 years Scarlet Fever London Fever Hospital Waiter 31 18 57, Ingestre buildings, Ingestre place Female 4 years Scarlet Fever F ulham Hospital Scholar Police Constable 32 18 5, Charles street Male 30 years Typhoid Fever Not removed Gentleman 33 19 9, Downs place Male 10 years Scarlet Fever Fulham Hospital Scholar Hawker 34 27 21, Old Burlington street Female 27 years Typhoid Fever Not removed Wife of a Publican 35 May 5 14, Rupert street Female 30 years Scarlet Fever Stockwell Hospi.'al Cook 36 13 26, Rupert street Female 5 years 5 months Scarlet Fever London Fever Hospital Nil Hairdresser 37 15 14, Rupert street Female 21 years Scarlet Fever Stockwell Hospital Barmaid 38 15 7, Broad street bldgs., Broad street Female 6 years Scarlet Fever Stockwell Hospital Scholar Tailor 39 16 87, Wardour street Female 8 years Scarlet Fever Stockwell Hospital Nil Tailor 40 15 13a, Broad street Female 9 years Scarlet Fever Haverstock Hill Hospital Scholar Tailor 19 41 May 22 25, Berwick street Male 12 years Scarlet Fever Stockwell Hospital Scholar Tailor 42 22 46, Brewer street Female 1 year 6 months Diphtheria Stockwell Hospital Nil Tailor 43 23 27, Gt. Marlborough st. Male 39 years Erysipelas Not removed 44 27 11, Marlborough mews Male 52 years Erysipelas Not removed Police Pensioner 45 27 12, Marshall House, Marshall street Male 8 years Scarlet Fever Falham Hospital Scholar Tailor 46 June 10 89, Wardour street Male 6 years 11 months Scarlet Fever Stockwell Hospital Scholar Tailor 47 13 12, Rupert street Male 3 years Scarlet Fever Stockwell Hospital Nil Clerk 48 13 11, Marshall street Female 8 years Enteric Fever University Hospital Scholar Painter Died 49 50 May 16 14 89, Wardour street 34, Berwick street Male Male 3 years 7 years Scarlet Fever Scarlet Fever Stockwell Hospital Fulham Hospital Nil Scholar Tailor Tailoress 51 June 19 30, Great Windmill street Male 4½ years Scarlet Fever Stockwell Hospital Scholar Carman 52 21 30, Little Pulteney street Female 7 years Scarlet Fever London Fever Hospital Scholar Draper 53 23 34, Berwick street Male 9 years Scarlet Fever Stockwell Hospital Scholar Tailoress 54 26 2, Lexington street Female 8 years Scarlatina Not removed Scholar Undertaker 55 30 2, Vigo street Male 40 years Scarlet Fever Not removed Gentleman 56 July 3 29, Berwick street Male 6 years Scarlet Fever Fulham Hospital Scholar Bootmaker 20 APPENDIX TO REPORT OF MEDICAL OFFICEE OF HEALTH. Table II —Cases of Infectious Diseases notifiable under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, Sec. 55, and coming to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health during the year 1899—continued. No. of Case. Date. Address. Sex. Age. Disease. Removed to. Patient's Occupation. Parent's Occupation. Remarks. 67 July 4 11, Upper Rupert street Female 11 years Scarlet Fever Stockwell Hospital Scholar Tailor 58 6 10, West street Female 2 years Scarlet Fever Stock well Hospital Nil Tailor 59 7 2, Hopkin street Male 11 years Typhoid Fever Fulham Hospital Scholar Coster monger 60 13, Ganton street Male 16 years Scarlet Fever Stock well Hospital Messenger 61 10 1, Little Crown court Male 36 years Erysipelas Not removed L Tailor 62 13 15, Marlborough mews Male 6 years Diphtheria Haver stock Hill Hospital Scholar Carman 63 14 15, St.James Residences, Little Pulteney street Male 6 years Scarlet Fever Stock well Hospital Scholar Tailor 64 18 36, Piccadilly Female 32 years Diphtheria Tooting Hospital Shop Assistant 65 19 28, St. James's street Female 49 years Erysipelas Not removed Nil 66 21 2, Gantor House, Ganton street Male 7 years Enteric Fever Fulham Hospital Scholar Tailor 67 24 15, New Burlington street Female 16 years Erysipelas Not removed Nil 68 24 1, West street Male 7 years Enteric Fever Fulham Hospital Scholar Painter 21 69 July 25 12, Berwick street Female 7 years Enteric Fever Fulham Hospital Scholar Packer 70 25 6, Edward street Female 40 years Erysipelas Not removed Nil 71 25 13, Ganton street Male 5 years Scarlet Fever Stockwell Hospital Scholar Plumber 72 26 92, Berwick street Male 8 years Enteric Fever Fulham Hospital Scholar Bootmaker 73 27 20, Air street Male 28 years Erysipelas Not removed Clerk 74 31 1, Coventry street Male 3 years Diphtheria Fulham Hospital Nil Constable 75 31 7, Sherwood street Female 4 years 6 months Scarlet Fever Not removed Nil Tailor 76 Aug. 2 2, Livonia street Male 4 years Diphtheria Fulham Hospital Scholar Scene Shifter 77 2 Ormond House, York street Female 6 years Scarlet Fever London Fever Hospital Nil Steward 78 3 27, Gt. Pulteney street Male 10 years Scarlatina Stockwell Hospital Nil Tailor 79 4 23a, Peter street F emale 3 years Diphtheria Fulham Hospital Nil Tailor 80 5 165, Oxford street Male 18 years Scarlet Fever Not removed Clerk 81 14 Westminster Union, Poland street Female 3 years Scarlet Fever Fulham Hospital Nil Servant 82 17 36, Little Pulteney street Female 4 years Scarlet Fever Havers tock Hill Hospital Nil Shoemaker 83 17 39, Berwick street Female 5 years Scarlet Fever Haverstock Hill Hospital Nil Carpenter 84 18 86, St. James's street Wale 18 years Scarlet Fever Stockwell Hospital Waiter 22 APPENDIX TO REPORT OF MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH. Table II.— Cases of Infectious Diseases notifiable under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, Sec. 55, and coming to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health during the year 1899—continued. No. of Case. Date. Address. Sex. Age Disease. Removed to. Patient's Occupation. Parent's Occupation. Remarks. 85 Aug. 17 36, Little Pulteney street Male 2 years Scarlet Fever Haverstock Hill Hospital Nil Shoemaker 86 22 34, Broad street Male 7 years Scarlet Fever Haverstock Hill Hospital Scholar Tailor 87 Sept. 14 11, Berwick street Female 24 years Typhoid Fever Not removed Tailoress 88 19 19, Broad street Male 22 years Diphtheria Fulham Hospital Butcher 89 20 39, St. James's place Male 25 years Enteric Fever Not removed Gentleman 90 21 Police Station, Marlborough mews Male 49 years Erysipelas Not removed Police Constable 91 20 14, Lexington street Female 1 year 9 months Diphtheria Haverstock Hill Hospital Nil Charwoman 92 22 6, Pall Mall Female 4 years Diphtheria Stockwell Hospital Nil Porter 93 22 45, Berwick street Male 2 years Diphtheria University College Hospital Nil Tailor 94 23 166, Piccadilly Female 45 years Erysipelas University College Hospital Widow 95 25 6, Pall Mall Male 1 year 2 months Diphtheria Haverstock Hill Hospital Nil Porter 23 90 Sept. 26 23 Portland street Male 4 years Enteric Fever Middlesex Hospital Nil 97 30 6, Pall Mall Male Diphtheria Fulham Hospital Nil Porter 98 26 2, Heddon street Male 18 years Scarlet Fever Stockwell Hospital Apprentice 99 Oct. 3 77, Beak street Male 1 year Diphtheria Hospital for Sick Children, Gt. Ormonde street Nil Died 100 3 8, Peter buildings, Peter street Male 8 years 9 months Typhoid Fever Hospital for Sick Children, Gt. Ormonde street Scholar Tailor 101 4 41, Broad street Female 4 years Scarlet Fever Fulham Hospital Nil Cabinet Maker 102 5 44, Ingestre buildings, Ingestre place Male 14 years Scarlet Fever Tooting Hospital Poulterer's Assistant 103 6 70, Berwick street Female 4 years Erysipelas Not removed Nil Bootmaker 104 12 3, Sherwood place Female 40 years Erysipelas Not removed Tailoress 105 12 27, Broad street Female 4 years Diphtheria St. George's Hospital Nil Tailor 106 16 218, Piccadilly Female 24 years Enteric Fever Fulham Hospital Barmaid 107 Oct. 16 20, Rupert street Female 6 years Scarlet Fever London Fever Hospital Scholar Publican 108 17 1, West street Male 14 years Enteric Fever Haverstock Hill Hospital Errand Boy Compositor 109 18 5, Cleveland row Female 7½ years Diphtheria Not removed Scholar Lodging-house Keeper Died 24 APPENDIX TO REPORT OF MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH. Table II.— Cases of Infectious Diseases notifiable under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, Sec. 55, and coming to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health during the year 1899—continued. No.of Case. Date. Address. Sex. Age. Disease- Removed to. Patient's Occupation. Parent's Occupation. Remarks. 110 Oct. 24 48, Carnaby street Female 18 years Diphtheria Haverstock Hill Hospital General Servant 111 25 120, St. James's residences, Broad street Female 11 years Diphthria Tooting Hospital Scholar Machinist 112 30 4, Elkington buildings, Archer street Female 4½ years Diphtheria Haverstock Hill Hospital Scholar Porter 113 Nov. 1 4, Church place Male 33 years Enteric Fever Not removed Restaurant Keeper 114 1 12, Berwick street Female 7 years Diphtheria Tooting Hospital Scholar Costermonger 115 8 37, St. James's place Female 18 years Typhoid Fever French Hospital Kitchenmaid 116 7 London Pavilion, Piccadilly Female 62 years Typhoid Fever Not removed Widow Died 117 13 119, Jermyn street Male 23 years Typhoid Fe\er 3, Duke St., Grosvenor sq. Traveller 118 13 11, Elkington bldgs., Archer street Female 4 years 3 months Diphtheria Fulham Hospital Scholar Police Constable 119 13 10, Berwick street Male 10 years Enteric Fever 15. Fitzroy square Scholar Butcher 120 13 10, Berwick street Female 12 years Enteric Fever 15, Fitzroy square Scholar Butcher 121 13 10, Berwick street Female 8 years Enteric Fever 15, Fitzroy square Scholar Butcher 25 122 Nov. 13 23, Broad street Male 4 years Diphtheria Tooting Hospital Nil Tailor 123 13 92, Berwick street Female 4 years Diphtheria Haverstock Hill Hospital Nil Tailoress 124 13 16, Poland street Female 17 years Diphtheria Fulham Hospital Nil 125 15 8, Clifford street E'emale 49 years Enteric Fever Not removed Dressmaker 126 16 19, St. James's residences, Little Pnlteney street Male 4 years 8 months Diphtheria Fulham Hospital Nil Waiter 127 17 118, Pall Mall Male 74 years Erysipelas Not removed Army Officer 128 17 3, Elkington buildings, Archer street Female 4 years Diphtheria Haverstock Hill Hospital Scholar Brewer's Drayman 129 20 4, Carlton stables, Hay market Male 18 years Diphtheria Tooting Hospital Stableman 130 20 165, Oxford street Female 7 years Scarlet Fever Haverstock Hill Hospital Scholar Salesman 131 20 31, Argyll street Female 28 years Scarlet Fever Haverstock Hill Hospital Draper's Assistant 132 21 4, Elkington buildings, Archer street Male 3 years Diphtheria Tooting Hospital Nil Porter 133 22 4, King street, Regent street Male 4 years Diphtheria Tooting Hospital Scholar Tailor 134 22 58, Warwick street Female 12 years Scarlet Fever Lcndon Fever Hospital Scholar Private Detective 135 Dec. 1 13, Marshall house, Marshall street Female 33 years Erysipelas Not removed Nil 136 4 5, Berwick street Female 60 years Erysipelas Not removed Nil 137 4 Carlton Hotel, Hay market Male 40 years Typhoid Fever 50, Weymouth street Gentleman 26 APPENDIX TO REPORT OF MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH. Table 11.—Cases of Infectious Diseases notifiable under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, Sec. 55, and coming to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health during the year 1899—continued. No of Case Date. Address. Sex. Age. Disease. Removed to. patient's Occupation. parent's Occupation. Remarks. 138 Dec. 11 15, Ormonde yard Male 15 months Scarlet Fever Not removed Nil Grocer's Assistant 139 13 13, Arundel street Female 21 years Enteric Fever Not removed Nil 140 16 79, St. James's residence's Little Putney street Female 21 years Typhoid Fever Tooting Hospital Tailor ess 141 19 78, Berwick street Female 3 years Diphtheria Hospital for Sick Children, Gt. Ormonde st Nil 142 19 1, Elkington buildings, Archer street Female 3 years Diphtheria Homer ton Hospital Nil Cellar man 143 21 42, Pall Mall Male 12 years Diphtheria Not removed Scholar Caretaker 144 23 3, Naylor's yard, Beak street Female 5 years Diphtheria Fulham Hospital Scholar Coachman 27 PARISH OF ST. JAMES, WESTMINSTER. APPENDIX TO REPORT OF MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH. REPORT OF SANITARY INSPECTORS AS TO CONDITION OF BAKEHOUSES IN THE PARISH DURING THE YEAR 1899. January 8th, 1900. To the Public Health Committee. Mb. Chairman and Gentlemen, We beg to report that we have inspected the whole of the occupied Bakehouses (numbering 22) during the year 1899. The general condition of the Bakehouses was very good, and only in a very few cases were any defects found. During the past year two of the Bakehouses have been demolished, and will not again be used for that purpose. We are, Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servants, J. P. FOLLAND, T. W. CALYERLEY, Sanitary Inspectors. PARISH OF ST. JAMES, WESTMINSTER. APPENDIX TO REPORT OF MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH. TABLE III.—ABSTRACT OF WORK DONE BY SANITARY INSPECTORS DURING THE YEAR 1899. NUISANCES REMOVED OR ABATED. First Quarter. Second Quarter. Third Quarter. Fourth Quarter. For the whole Year. Animals, Nuisances from, abated 0 2 1 0 3 Areas, whitewashed and cleansed 3 5 10 6 24 „ paving of, repaired 2 7 3 5 17 Basements, whitewashed and cleansed 9 9 12 15 45 „ floors, repaired and cleansed 3 3 5 3 14 „ lighted and ventilated 0 0 0 0 0 Baths, traps furnished to 0 0 0 0 0 Beds, disinfected 20 23 33 30 106 Bedclothes, disinfected 119 114 154 211 598 Bell traps, removed 4 7 7 6 24 Carpets, disinfected 4 0 7 8 19 Cisterns, cleansed 7 10 4 9 30 „ new ones provided 0 0 0 0 0 „ covers furnished to 5 4 4 7 20 „ repaired generally 2 0 0 0 2 „ apparatus repaired 0 0 0 0 0 Cesspools, abolished 0 1 0 0 1 Drains, reconstructed with glazed pipes and ventilated 25 16 22 20 83 „ unstopped 5 7 1 3 16 „ repaired 2 5 0 5 12 „ traps furnished to 0 2 0 0 2 „ earthenware gully traps furnished to 0 0 0 0 0 „ disconnected from sewer and ventilated 7 16 9 9 41 Dustbins, repaired I 0 2 0 3 „ new ones provided 6 4 5 10 25 Dung pits abolished 0 0 0 0 0 Foul matter removed 5 12 16 14 47 Food, unsound, seized and condemned 0 0 0 3 3 Gutters, cleansed and repaired 1 1 1 2 5 „ new ones furnished 0 0 0 0 0 Houses, furnished with water supply 0 0 0 0 0 „ water supply reinstated 0 0 0 1 1 „ closed, unfit for human habitation 0 0 0 0 0 „ ventilation improved 0 0 0 0 0 Kitchens, whitewashed 1 4 4 3 12 „ underground, cleared of occupants 0 1 1 0 2 Lead flats, roofs cleansed 0 0 0 0 0 „ „ repaired 0 0 0 0 0 Mattresses, disinfected 31 16 27 21 95 Manure, removed 3 3 4 2 12 Miscellaneous articles disinfected 65 52 88 121 326 Passages, whitewashed and cleansed 2 4 7 5 18 „ floor of, repaired and cleansed 2 1 0 0 3 Pillows disinfected 70 61 48 92 271 Rain-water pipes, new ones furnished 1 1 3 0 5 „ „ unstopped, cleansed and repaired 2 3 1 11 17 „ „ disconnected from draint 5 5 8 6 24 Rooms, whitewashed and cleansed 35 34 37 56 162 „ disinfected 20 21 38 37 116 „ overcrowded, abated 3 2 0 0 5 „ floors of, repaired and cleansed 2 0 0 3 5 Roofs, repaired 4 1 2 6 13 Rooms, ventilation improved 0 0 0 0 0 Carried forward 472 456 562 724 2214 PARISH OF ST. JAMES, WESTMINSTER. APPENDIX TO REPORT OF MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH. TABLE III—ABSTRACT OF WORK DONE BY SANITARY INSPECTORS DURING THE YEAR 1899—continued. NUISANCES REMOVED OR ABATED. First Quarter. Second Quarter. Third Quarter. Fourth Quarter. For the whole Year. Brought forward 472 456 562 724 2214 Service pipes, new ones furnished 0 0 0 0 0 ,, „ repaired 0 0 0 0 0 Sinks, traps furnished to 0 0 0 0 0 ,, and lavatories, waste pipes disconnected from drain 7 6 7 6 26 „ „ repaired 0 0 0 0 0 „ new pipes and traps furnished to 3 3 3 1 10 „ unstopped and cleansed 0 4 1 1 6 Staircases, whitewashed and cleansed 8 11 11 10 40 „ steps of, cleansed 3 1 0 3 7 Stables, cleansed and whitewashed 0 0 0 0 0 „ paving of, cleansed and repaired 0 0 1 1 2 Smoke, nuisance from, abated 9 4 2 7 22 Urinals (private) whitewashed 0 0 0 0 0 „ unstopped and cleansed 1 1 1 2 5 „ traps furnished to 0 0 0 0 0 „ furnished with water supply 1 0 0 0 1 „ abolished 0 0 0 0 0 „ reconstructed 0 0 0 0 0 „ repaired 0 1 0 0 1 Vaults, whitewashed 0 0 0 0 0 Water closets, cleansed generally 9 20 12 16 57 „ „ furnished with water 0 2 0 0 2 „ „ „ „ new apparatus 13 0 0 0 13 ,, „ apparatus repaired 8 4 7 5 24 „ „ new pans furnished to 2 4 1 0 7 „ „ pans cleansed 9 13 12 27 61 „ „ water supply reinstated 1 5 1 4 11 „ ., repaired generally 2 4 6 7 19 „ „ abolished 2 0 0 0 2 „ „ soil pipes, new, furnished to 17 3 7 3 30 „ „ „ ventilated 11 8 8 5 32 „ „ reconstructed 25 5 9 7 46 ,, „ new, erected 7 2 4 1 14 „ „ light and ventilation improved 6 2 7 7 22 „ soil pipes unstopped and repaired 3 2 1 1 7 „ „ traps furnished to 1 1 1 2 5 „ „ unstopped 9 7 3 5 24 Yards, whitewashed 2 5 5 7 19 „ paving of, cleansed 0 0 0 0 0 „ „ repaired 6 4 1 7 17 „ „ new traps to drain 0 4 2 1 7 Water stopped from running as a nuisance 2 5 4 3 14 Wearing apparel disinfected 141 132 244 395 912 Wash-houses, whitewashed and cleansed 0 0 2 1 3 „ „ floors repaired 0 1 0 1 2 Workshops, whitewashed and cleansed 9 5 3 8 25 „ overcrowding abated 3 0 0 0 3 „ ventilation improved 0 0 0 0 0 Water, separate supply for drinking purposes provided 0 0 0 2 2 „ (drinking), disconnected from water-closet 0 0 0 0 0 Total 795 726 930 1276 3727 30 PARISH OF ST. JAMES, WESTMINSTER. APPENDIX TO REPORT OF MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH. TABLE IV.—SUMMARY OF WORK BY SANITARY INSPECTORS DURING THE YEAR 1899. NUISANCES REMOVED OR ABATED. First Quarter. Second Quarter Third Quarter. Fourth Quarter For the whole year. No. of Complaints received 100 108 102 92 402 „ Small Pox cases visited ... ... ... ... ... „ Scarlet Fever 5 21 17 7 50 „ Typhoid (Enteric) Fever cases visited 9 3 8 14 34 „ Continued Fever cases visited ... ... ... ... ... „ Puerperal „ „ ... ... ... ... ... „ Relapsing „ „ ... ... ... ... ... „ Typhus „ „ ... ... ... ... ... „ Diphtheria „ „ 7 1 11 20 39 „ Erysipelas „ „ 3 7 5 21 „ Cholera „ „ ... ... ... ... ... „ Membranous Croup „ ... ... ... ... ... „ Articles disinfected „ 440 398 606 878 2322 „ Rooms disinfected „ 20 21 38 37 116 „ Articles obtained for Analysis 19 24 20 27 90 „ Bodies received into Mortuary 11 3 3 10 27 JOHN PERCY FOLLAND, THOMAS WINTER CALVERLEY, Sanitary Inspectors. 31 PARISH OF ST. JAMES, WESTMINSTER. APPENDIX TO REPORT OP MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH. Table V —Underground Rooms or Cellars cleared of Occupants, under the 96th Section of the Act, 54 and 55 Victoria, cap. 76, up to end of year 1899. 4 Archer street 6 Heddon Court 25 Marshall street 5 do. 7 do. 29 do. 16 Berwick street 8 do. 39 do. 18 do. 10 Heddon street 44 do. 26 do. 16 do. 47 do. 28 do. 1 Hopkin street, front 2 Noel street 29 do. 9 do. two rooms 5 do. 30 do. 10 do. 13 do. front room 36 do. 11 do. 21 do. 39 do. 1 Kemp's court 11 Peter street 43 do. 2 do. 20 do. two rooms 45 do. 3 do. 21 do. 49 do. 4 do. 22 do. 50 do. 7 King street, Regent st. 26 do. 56 do. 8 do. 12 Poland street 58 do. 20 do. two rooms 14 do. 66a do. 21 do. 21 do. 79 do. 26 do. 22 do. 81 do. front room 66 do. 56 do. two rooms 89 do. 12 Lexington street 57 do. do. 95 do. 14 do. 58 do. 50 Brewer street 16 do. 59 do. 4 Broad street 18 do. 4 Portland street 12 do. 22 do. 7 do. 13a do. 27 do. 11 do. 31 do. 28 do. 15 do. 35 do. 29 do. 19 do. 43 do. two rooms 30 do. 31 do. 44 do. 31 do. 7 Rupert court 45 do. 32 do. 11 Rupert street 52 do. two rooms 33 do. 30 do. 4 Carnaby street 44 do. back 31 do. 6 do. 47 do. 49 do. 17 do. two rooms 3 Livonia street 2 Rupert street, Upper 18 do. do. 5 do. 7 do. do. 27 do. do. 7 do. 43 Shaftesbury avenue, front room 30 do. 10 do. 7 Denman street 12 do. 2 Silver place, two rooms 1 Dufour's place 13 do. 1 Smith's court 3 do. back 14 do. 2 do. 9 do. 2 Lowndes court 3 do. 10 do. two rooms 1 Marlborough row, two rooms 7 Sherwood street 3 Edward street 16 do. 24 Foubert's-pl., one room 2 do. do. 1 West street 1 Ganton street 3 do. do. 6 do. 2 do. 4 do. do. 8 do. 3 do. 5 do. do. 12 do. 5 do. 6 do. do. 14 do. 17 do. 7 do. do. 15 do. 19 do. 9 do. do. 24 Windmill street, Great 26 Great Pulteney street back room 10 do. do. 18 do. do. 9 Marshall street 30 do. do. 7 Green's court 10 do. 32 do. do. 3 Heddon court 11 do. 41 do. front JOHN PERCY FOLLAND, THOMAS WINTER CALVERLEY, Sanitary Inspectors. 33 REPORT UPON ARTICLES ANALYSED DURING THE YEAR 1899, made to the Vestry of Saint James's, westminster, by JAMES EDMUNDS, M.D., M.R.C.P.Lond., F.C.S., &c., Medical Officer of Health and Public Analyst. Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, During the year 1899, under the provisions of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, 90 samples were examined, all which were procured for examination by the Vestry Officers. In none of these samples was any poisonous ingredient discovered. Among the samples submitted for examination, there were:— Vinegars 25 Milks 19 Butters 12 Coffees 5 Peppers 5 Cocoas 4 Gingers 4 Mustards 4 Whiskies 4 Gins 3 Brandies 3 Rums 2 90 34 Nothing, except the stipend paid by the Vestry, has been received by me in connection with these analyses. The results of the analyses are shown in the Table, which is appended (vide page 48). The four vinegar cases, Nos. 28, 36, 38, and 51, were tenaciously defended by manufacturers standing in the background. Ultimately, at my suggestion, the reserved portions of the four samples were referred to the Government Laboratory. The reports returned by the Government Laboratory abundantly corroborated each of the four analyses on which the Vestry of St. James's had based their proceedings. Convictions followed in all the four cases. As these vinegar cases practically illustrate many of the difficulties which arise in enforcing the Adulteration Acts, some special paragraphs are here submitted in order that, in any such future cases, the Vestry may have upon record the materials for a full consideration of the course to be adopted. Vinegar is one of those articles for which there is no legal standard. It is not now necessary that even beer be brewed from barley and hops. Beer now may be brewed from anything that can be made to ferment, and it may be bittered and flavoured with anything which can be made to serve as a "hop substitute." In the phraseology of the brewing-room, the term "malt" has been extended so as to include not only malted barley, but also an extensive list of other materials which the public do not in any sense regard as "malt." Similar materials are now used for the brewing of vinegars, even for some of those sold as " Pure Malt Vinegars." In the manufacture of malt vinegars the first stage is the same as in the manufacture of beer. The barley, more or less of which has been previously malted, is mashed with hot water, and the infusion thus obtained—" the sweetwort"—is then mixed with yeast and made to 35 undergo the alcoholic fermentation. For beer, the alcoholic liquid is bittered and preserved as such; but for vinegar, the alcoholic liquid is subjected to a secondary fermentation. By this means nearly the whole of the alcohol is converted into acetic acid. Malt vinegar, in fact, is a beer which, instead of having been bittered, has been scientifically soured. As beer may be brewed from a sweetwort which is rich or poor, and may be anything from the strongest ale to the poorest small beer—according to the percentage of alcohol which it contains, so vinegar may be brewed to contain various percentages of acetic acid. The materials from which vinegars should be produced are three—the malt, the water, and the yeast. As to the yeast, it is used in order to make the sugar of the sweetwort ferment into alcohol. No practical question arises over the yeast. As to the water, large questions arise. Here, I submit, as a governing principle, that no one ought to manufacture an article of food for public sale with any water other than a good drinking water. If, in order to save a waterrate, water from unsafe surface wells be used in dairies, experience shows that typhoid fever is often disseminated among those who consume the milk. Such water is inadmissible as a medium for the preparation or manufacture of food. If, again, a vinegar manufacturer wishes to put gypsum into his vinegar, that is "a foreign ingredient," and—unless shown to be necessary for the manufacture or preservation of the vinegar — the introduction of gypsum is an adulteration. It may be urged that the amount of vinegar drunk at any one time is so small that the gypsum taken into the system cannot be injurious to health. In the case of vinegar this is probably true, and the same might be said as to the sale of vitriol and water as vinegar. But this use of gypsum in white wines and pale ales has become a serious and systematic adulteration—an adulteration which produces a large amount of gout and rheumatism, and of other degenerations of tissue which prematurely age and cripple the consumers of such 36 liquors. Now, if a manufacturer does not like to buy his gypsum by the ton from the Stogumber Quarries and put it into his vat out of a sack, is he to be allowed to bore a well into a vein of gypsum and pump up into his vat water which is merely a solution of gypsum? If this be manufacturing "a pure malt vinegar from nothing but malt, and yeast, and spring water," then it is clear that the London manufacturer, who uses a water free from such minerals, is entitled to put gypsum in out of a sack. Is a pickle-maker entitled to dig a well into a copper mine, to pump up water containing copper, and to use that water to colour his pickles up to the morbid grass-green that ignorant people admire ? In fact, if it be not a governing principle that nothing but "a good drinking-water" should be used for the manufacture of articles of food, where are we? By "a good drinking-water" I mean a water such as is eligible for a municipal water supply. As to the malt, other questions have arisen of late years. By the term "malt" the public understand malted barley. Dodsley, in his "Agriculture," writes:— . . . . " Some expert To raise from leaven'd wheat the kneaded loaf; To mash the malted barley and extract Its flavoured strength." Malted barley is, in fact, the base of what the purchaser expects when he buys "malt liquor" or "malt vinegar." But, in the phraseology of the brewing-room, the term "malt" is now used to include cargoes of damaged maize, rice, and other grains which have had to be reduced into a fermentable condition by steeping with diluted vitriol at a high temperature. And there is no Act of Parliament against calling such materials "malt"—just as there was no Act of Parliament to prevent Mr. Wackford Squeers from calling his place a "Hall." Then again, since the malt-tax has been transferred to the beer which used to be brewed from malt, there is no longer any law against brewing beer from other materials than barley and barley-malt. The revenue officers are content if they get the tax upon the 37 beer, and they have no concern as to the materials from which the beer has been brewed. In fact, the revenue officers do not administer the Adulteration Acts. They administer the Revenue Acts. When they punish a publican for making three barrels of beer out of two, they punish him for defrauding the Revenue by selling "beer" on which no tax has been paid, they do not punish him for poisoning his customers with brewers' chemicals. One large question, therefore, arises as to what is to be understood as "malt" under the Adulteration Acts Another large question comes in as to the water allowable for the manufacture of food articles. Is it right to use for such purposes a water which is unfit for a municipal water supply? A vinegar manufactured in the way which the public expect when they buy "a pure malt vinegar" contains nothing except what has been brought into it by the barley, the yeast, and a good drinking-water. Traces of sulphuric acid are brought into such vinegar by the oxidation of minute quantities of sulphur which exist in the barley, and by minute quantities of sulphates which exist in almost all drinking-waters. The traces of sulphuric acid thus brought into "a pure malt vinegar" do not amount to more than from 1 to 3 parts in 10,000 of the finished vinegar. Such traces—i.e., .01 to .03 per cent.—of sulphuric acid, belong naturally to a genuine malt liquor or to a genuine malt vinegar. But all sulphuric acid beyond that .01 to .03 per cent. that may be contained in the finished vinegar, has been added either to the vinegar or to the materials out of which the vinegar was made. Such sulphuric acid is "a foreign ingredient." It is not material whether it has been poured into the finished vinegar as oil of vitriol, whether it has been put into the rice and other grain which is called "malt," whether it has been put into the vat as gypsum out of the quarry, or as a solution of gypsum out of a well dug into a vein of gypsum. As to the percentage of acetic acid, a vinegar may be brewed strong or weak, just as beer may. 38 over, a vinegar brewed from a rich sweetwort may, from slovenly manufacture or slovenly storage, lose its acetic acid and come out a weak vinegar. But to brew a weak vinegar does not pay any manufacturer. It would mean passing through his vats a large volume of useless water; it would mean larger plant, more fuel, more expensive handling, larger warehouses, and a larger area of ground. There is, in fact, a strength at which it is best and cheapest for a manufacturer to brew his vinegar. That point is from 5 to 6.5 per cent. of acetic acid. The Vinegar Act of 1818 [58 Geo. III., cap. 65] defined proof vinegar as containing, by weight, a little over 6 per cent. of real acetic acid. A vinegar of that strength is the best standard, and all vinegars would be better sold to contain six per cent. of real acetic acid. A six per cent. vinegar keeps perfectly, it perfectly preserves fish, vegetables, or meat which needs to be pickled by means of vinegar; and it can be diluted with water to any extent that the consumer chooses for particular purposes. The consumer no more needs to pay the merchant for watering his vinegar than he needs to pay the publican for watering his whiskey. Nor ought the consumer to pay the cost of barrelling, bottling, and transporting the water. What he demands is vinegar—not vinegar and water. In the British Pharmacopoeia of 1898 vinegar has been omitted from the list of drugs—probably on account of uncertainty as to what is sold as "vinegar." But in the previous edition of the British Pharmacopoeia (1885) vinegar was included, and it was there defined as "prepared from a mixture of unmalted and malted grain by the acetous fermentation . . . having a specific gravity of from 1.017 to 1.019—water being 1,000 . . . and containing 5.41 per cent. of real acetic acid (HC2 H3 O2)." Vinegar bought at a pharmacy as a drug would therefore have had to contain 5.41 per cent of acetic acid. But vinegar bought as an article of food at a grocer's would not require to conform to the standard of the British Pharmacopœia. 39 Some twenty years ago a standard for the acetous strength of commercial vinegar was fixed by the Society of Public Analysts. As a bottom-limit line the Society fixed 3 per cent, of acetic anhydride. Now, 3 per cent. of acetic anhydride is the same as 3.53 per cent. of real acetic acid. This standard of 3 per cent. was subsequently agreed to by the Government Laboratory ; but, owing to some confusion, the Government Laboratory fixed as the bottom-limit 3 per cent. of the real acetic acid—thus lowering by some 18 per cent. the very low line already drawn by the Society of Public Analysts as a bottom-limit. It has since been practically useless for a public analyst to advise the prosecution of these diluted vinegars unless they have been watered down distinctly below 3 per cent. of the real acetic acid. The result would be that the vinegar-seller would ask for the reserve portion to be referred to the Government Laboratory, it would be reported as "genuine vinegar," and the prosecution would fail. But the result has been that the cheap vinegar makers water down their vinegars to just above this 3 per cent. bottom-limit before they send them out to the retailer. In this way the nominal prices are cut down, the purchaser gets a larger bottle of vinegar to carry home, and the manufacturers of unwatered vinegars are placed at a commercial disadvantage. To the consumer the price of watered vinegar is not cut down to the full extent of the watering. Part goes in extra profit to the brewer, part is spent in the extra cost of barrelling and transporting, etc., and only a part goes into a lowering of price. If two barrels of a 6 per cent. vinegar be watered down to three barrels, we get a 4 per cent. vinegar; but as that is considerably above the bottom-limit of the Government Laboratory, the fraud cannot be checked. If two barrels of 6 per cent. vinegar are watered down to nearly four barrels, we get a vinegar which is just above the bottomlimit, and the vendor is still safe. But if, this having been done by the manufacturer, the process is repeated by the 40 • retailer—as was probably done in sample 34, which contained only 1.44 per cent. of acetic acid—then, if the inspector comes along and takes a sample, the vendor gets fined. No. 34, for instance, was fined £3 3s. and £1 1s. costs. In No. 52 there was found only 2.64 per cent. of acetic acid, and there the vendor was fined 10s. and 12s. costs. But this bottom-limit of 3 per cent. for the real acetic acid is much too low, and admits watered vinegars to the market to the prejudice of the genuine vinegar brewer. In fact, the use of these watered vinegars by poor persons who have to pickle a little fish, or meat, or vegetables, leaves the materials imperfectly preserved, where a genuine vinegar would have preserved them perfectly. Often such poor persons have no idea of the reason why their pickled fish, or meat, or vegetable goes bad. This putrescence affects not only the food-materials which are pickled in order to preserve them; it also affects the watered vinegar itself, and prevents it from keeping. Watered vinegar tends to putrify, just as watered beer or watered wine would do. The result is that manufacturers who send out watered vinegars, vinegars which are badly brewed, or vinegars which are brewed below strength, want some preservative in their vinegars in order to atone for the lack of acetic acid. The great preservative used for vinegar has been sulphuric acid. This is sometimes poured into the finished vinegar as oil of vitriol; sometimes it is put into the grain in order to reduce it to a fermentable substance, and the sulphuric acid, having done its work on the grain, is then neutralized with lime, so as to form sulphate of lime or gypsum, which goes into the brewing vat and passes on into the vinegar. In other cases the mineral gypsum is put into the vat out of the quarry. In still other cases the brewer salves over his conscience and saves his pocket by digging a well into a gypsum quarry and pumping up the solution of gypsum into his vat. It is regarded as better to put the gypsum into the vat as "spring water" 41 than to buy it by the ton and put the mineral openly into the vat. Sulphuring the casks and vats may be so managed as to introduce a material quantity of sulphuric acid into vinegar. Each pound of sulphur that is burnt, if fully oxidised, produces about three pounds of oil of vitriol. The caramel with which vinegar is now coloured is no longer the old-fashioned burnt sugar. Caramel is now prepared by steeping the sugar with sulphuric acid and ammonia at a high temperature, and a considerable quantity of the sulphuric acid remains in the caramel and passes into the finished vinegar. Under the old Vinegar Act (1818) this pretence that the vinegar required sulphuric acid in it in order to make it keep was met by allowing one pound of sulphuric acid to be put into each 1,000 pounds of the finished vinegar. But that Act was merely a revenue Act in times when sanding the sugar before coming in to morning prayers was supposed to be the duty of every grocer's apprentice. It has long been known that a good vinegar, properly brewed, and not afterwards watered, requires no vitriol to preserve it. That old revenue Act was entirely repealed in 1861. Moreover, the various Adulteration Acts have come into force, and the position is wholly changed. Unfortunately several eminent chemical authors have not yet discovered that this old revenue Act has been repealed, and their text-books say that it is still legal to put vitriol into vinegar. They also describe the quantity allowed as not one pound into 1,000 pounds, but one gallon into 1,000 gallons, both these statements being very gross blunders. Oil of vitriol is so heavy that a gallon of it weighs some 18½ pounds, whereas a gallon of water weighs 10 pounds. Therefore 1 gallon in 1,000 gallons would be nearly twice as much as 1 pound in 1,000 pounds of the vinegar. It would, in fact, be 1 in 542, instead of 1 in 1,000. It is evident that in the vinegars 28, 36, 38, and 51 the manufacturers have acted upon these statements, some having considerably exceeded the 1 in 542. The Government Laboratory certificate (page 44) states that No. 38 42 contained— as total sulphuric acid, .231 per cent., i.e., 1 in 433. But the learned magistrate made the law quite clear. In one case, when there was no longer any possibility of disputing the presence of free sulphuric acid in the vinegar, counsel coolly suggested that "sulphuric acid was in many cases a valuable tonic." An amused smile from the learned magistrate stopped this argument. Oil of vitriol is the vernacular name for what, in chemical language, we term sulphuric acid. In chemical shorthand sulphuric acid is symbolized thus—H2 SO4. There is also " sulphuric anhydride." The chemical symbols for this are SO3. Water is composed of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. Water is therefore represented in chemical symbols thus—H2O. When SO3 is put into water it is no longer "anhydride," but combines with the water and exists as SO3 + H2 O, that is to say, as H2 SO4—sulphuric acid. If put into a larger quantity ot water the H2 SO4 is diluted by being diffused through this larger quantity of water. When rice or maize is steeped at a high temperature with sulphuric acid, and the action upon the grain has been completed, it is necessary to neutralize the sulphuric acid. This is done by the addition of lime. Lime, in chemical language, is calcium oxide, and is represented in symbols as CaO. Upon CaO being mixed with the H2 SO4 then H2O and Ca SO4 are produced by the interchange of hydrogen and calcium. Here calcium sulphate, or what in the vernacular we call gypsum, is formed. Sulphuric acid, actually as oil of vitriol, has here been put in. Sulphuric acid, actually as oil of vitriol, can be got out; and the proper and only way of certifying such a fact is to certify that the resulting vinegar "contains its percentage of sulphuric Acid"; and, if free or uncombined sulphuric acid is meant, it should be certified as "free sulphuric acid." Yet eminent chemists can be retained who take the view that such vinegar" contains no sulphuric acid." The view they take is that, though the oil of vitriol has been put in, and the oil of vitriol can 43 be got out, yet that the sulphate of lime does not contain oil of vitriol—that A added to B is not A + B, but is C. Of course it is very difficult for a learned magistrate to see his way through the fog thus raised, and many professional chemists would be unable to do so. But, unless the sulphuric acid can be shown really to exist in the vinegar in a free or uncombined condition, it is difficult to get a conviction against wealthy manufacturers who bring up Queen's Counsel and strings of scientific chemists as expert witnesses on their behalf. It may, however, as truly be said that pickles which are greened with copper do not contain any copper, i.e., that the copper exists in the vinegar as a combination, and cannot be discovered as metallic copper. Genuine malt vinegar always contains potash and other alkaline bases in combination with acetic acid—as acetates. If sulphuric acid be added to such vinegar, the first portions of the sulphuric acid combine with these alkaline bases and form sulphate of potash (K2 SO4) and other sulphates. The acetic acid is then set free, and serves to sharpen the acidity of the vinegar. It is, therefore, only the excess of sulphuric acid over that required to saturate the alkaline bases of the vinegar which would be found in the vinegar as free sulphuric acid. Here again, if not more sulphuric acid than the equivalent for the alkaline bases had been poured into the finished vinegar, these chemical experts would take the view that "the vinegar contained no sulphuric acid." In the British Food Journal (Feb., 1900, pages 35, 36, and 42; and March, pages 65 and 66) these four vinegar cases Nos. 28, 36, 38, and 51 were fully and instructively commented upon. The certificates signed by the chemists of the Government Laboratory and sent to the learned magistrate were as follows:— "The three samples of vinegar marked Nos. 28, 36, and 38, respectively, and referred to in your letter of the 29th ultimo were received here on the following day securely sealed. 44 " We hereby certify that we have analysed the vinegars, and declare the results of our analyses to be as follows:— No. 28. No. 36 . No. 38. Percentage of Ash .057 .065 .055 Total Sulphuric Acid (H2 S04) .193 .117 .231 Combined Sulphuric Acid „ .043 .037 .038 Free Sulphuric Acid „ .150 .080 .193 "from a consideration of these results we are of opinion that the three vinegars contain the following percentages of added Sulphuric Acid:— No. 28. No. 36. 38. Added Sulphuric Acid .183 .107 .221" "The sample of vinegar marked 'No. 57,' and referred to in your letter of the 2nd December, was received here on the 4th inst., securely sealed. "We hereby certify that we have analysed the vinegar, and declare the results of our analysis to be as follows:— Combined Sulphuric Acid (H2 S04) .118 per cent. Free Sulphuric Acid „ .099 „ Total 217 "From a consideration of these results, we are of opinion that .14 per cent. of Sulphuric Acid had been added to the vinegar." These certificates from the Government Laboratory tell more severely against the defendant at every point than the certificates from me upon which the Vestry of St. James's had based their prosecutions. Convictions followed in all the cases. Yet four "expert chemists" were found who got into the witness-box and swore that the vinegars did not contain a particle of sulphuric acid. One of these was a chemist holding an important professional position. He deposed that vinegar No. 57 "contained no trace of sulphuric acid; but that it did contain .055 per cent. of phosphoric acid, which Dr. Edmunds must have mistaken for sulphuric acid." The significance of the percentages set out in the above certificates is as follows:—In each case the total sulphuric acid (reckoned as H2 SO4) consisted partly of combined, partly of free acid. One portion of the combined acid was estimated as belonging to the vinegar (that is to say, as due to the barley and the drinking-water with which the vinegar had been brewed). Another portion of the 45 bined acid (that combined with the potash and other bases belonging to the vinegar) had been added to the vinegar as free sulphuric acid. This latter portion of estimated free sulphuric acid added to the sulphuric acid found actually free in the vinegar constitute the percentage of "added sulphuric acid." The British Pharmacopoeia of 1885, with regard to sulphuric acid in vinegar, stipulates that 48 measures of the vinegar shall not precipitate more barium than that in one measure of the solution of chloride of barium. This gives .0816 per cent. as the maximum allowable of total sulphuric acid, reckoned as H2 SO4, and allows liberally for a very hard water. It will be seen that the Pharmacopœial maximum is less than the .1 per cent. allowed by the old Vinegar Act. Some vinegars are made up with acetic acid obtained by the destructive distillation of wood. Acetic acid of this origin is known as "pyroligneous acid," and in its crude form it is contaminated with tarry products. By the resources of modern chemistry such acetic acid is perfectly purified from all contamination, and it is then quite indistinguishable medically, dietetically, or chemically from acetic acid as obtained by fermentation and as contained in pure malt vinegar. Such vinegars are made up to contain 6 per cent. of acetic acid. They do not contain any of the vegetable extracts which malt vinegars contain, and they contain no sulphuric acid nor any sulphates, except such minute traces as were contained in the water with which the strong acetic acid was diluted, or as may have been ignorantly imported in the caramel with which they were coloured. Such vinegars, unless sold as "malt vinegar," cannot be prosecuted. They are harmless and perfectly wholesome; in fact, they are much more wholesome than the "genuine malt vinegars" which are brewed with gypsum. And they are cheap. They are coloured and flavoured according to the fancy of the manufacturer. The trading community of St. James's is much indebted to the learned magistrate at Great Marlborough Street for 46 the time which he devoted to these vinegar cases, and for the vast patience with which he allowed these extremely technical questions to be argued out before him. Thanks to his decisions, the presence of free sulphuric acid in vinegar is now condemned. What remains is the large practical question whether vinegar brewers are entitled to put gypsum, or other sulphates—such as sulphate of magnesia—into what they sell as "Vinegar." The allegation is that the use of gypsum enables them to brew a better and brighter vinegar and one that keeps better and travels better. But against this, modern vinegar makers put upon the market a fine vinegar quite free from any sulphuric acid, either free or combined, except those minute traces of sulphates which belong to the vinegar by reason of its barley and a good drinking-water. No. 48a, for instance, contained 6.48 per cent. of real acetic acid, and was a pure malt vinegar made from barley, yeast, and a good drinking-water. On subsequent inquiry, I learnt that this sample of vinegar came from Cross and Blackwell's well-known firm. Why should honourable trade of this kind be placed at a disadvantage by the sale of weak or badly brewed vinegars which will not keep unless they are mixed with sulphate of lime (gypsum) or sulphate of magnesia (Epsom salts)? In cases where the vendor of adulterated articles of food produces a warranty, the vendor is not liable to prosecution, and the only course is to proceed against the warrantor for having given a false warranty. This requires, under the law in force to the end of 1899, proof not only that the warranty was false, but that it was false to the knowledge of the warrantor. Now, the use of sulphates by the old vinegar firms is probably a relic of the old practice allowed by the Government of putting .1 per cent of oil of vitriol into vinegars. They have in many cases practised this for generations; and it is clear that it would be most difficult to show that these gentlemen had a guilty knowledge that such use of gypsum made their warranty a false one. But under the amended Act, 47 which came into force on January 1st, 1900, this proof of guilty knowledge will be no longer required and the issue will be somewhat simpler. The issue then will simply be whether or not the use of gypsum is necessary in the brewing of vinegar? unless that can be proved by the defendant, the law will assume a guilty knowledge and "the defendant will be liable . . . unless he proves to the satisfaction of the Court that, when he gave the warranty, he had reason to believe that the statements or descriptions contained therein were true." I have no doubt that some of these old firms still go on with the use of gypsum in perfectly good faith. But if modern firms can brew a perfect vinegar without gypsum, it is clear that pressure will have to be used in order to bring the old firms into line with modern scientific manufacture. I have the honour to remain, Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, JAMES EDMUNDS. 26, Manchester Square. 48 Table of 90 Samples submitted for examination during the year 1899. Note.—A good average milk should contain 12.5 % of Milk Solids. Milks containing 13 % and over are described as "Excellent." Milks containing from 12 to 13 % are described as "Good." Milks containing less than 12 % are described as "Poor." Milks containing less than 11.25 % are certified as adulterated with water; and, thereupon, the percentage of added water is calculated by comparison with a standard of fair average Milk containing 12.5 % of Milk Solids. The Government Laboratory, when certifying Milk as adulterated with added water, calculates the percentage of added water by the standard of bottom-limit Milk. This bottom-limit Milk used to contain 11.25% of Milk Solids of which 2.75% were fat, and 8.5% were solids-not-fat. During the year 1899, the standard for fat has been raised from 2.75% to 3% making the present standard for bottom-limit Milk now 11.50% of total milk solids. This limit is not to be held to anticipate or prejudge in any way the regulations as to standards which the Board of Agriculture may issue under the provisions of the 4th Section of the Act of 1899. For general remarks on Standards, see my Report on Food Analysis for year 1896 (pages 48.50); also the special Report on Milk Analysis appended to my Annual Report for year 1897. No. Article. Quality. Principal Facts of Analysis. Remarks. 1 Coffee Genuine 2 Cocoa Contained 15 % of foreign starch Fined 10s. and £2 2s. costs 3 Mustard Genuine 4 Pepper Genuine 5 Pepper Genuine 6 Coffee Genuine 7 Cocoa Contained 50 % of foreign starch and sugar. Fined 40s. and 2s. costs 8 Mustard Genuine 9 Coffee Genuine 10 Cocoa Genuine 49 11 Pepper Genuine 12 Pepper Genuine 13 Coffee Genuine 14 Mustard Genuine 15 Cocoa Contained 45 % of foreign starch and 15 % of foreign sugar Fined 40s and 23s. costs 16 Ground Ginger Genuine 17 Ground Ginger Genuine 18 Ground Ginger Genuine 19 Ground Ginger Genuine 20 Pepper Genuine 21 Mustard Contained 40 % of foreign starch Sold as a mixture 22 Coffee Genuine 23 Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 5.52 % 24 Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 5.52 % 25 Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 4.20 % 26 Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 4.32 % 27 Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 3.96 % 28 Vinegar Contained .1725 % of Sulphuric Acid (reckoned as H2 SO4) Fined 10s. and £1 1s. costs 29 Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 4.98 % 30 Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 4.08 % 31 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 12.84 % 32 Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 4.26 % 33 Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 4.65 % 50 Table of 90 Samples submitted for examination during the year 1899—continued. No. Article. Quality. Principal Facts of Analysis. Remarks. 34 Vinegar 50 % added water Contained Acetic Acid 1.44 % Fined £3 3s., and £1 1s. costs 35 Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 3.24 % 36 Vinegar Contained .1102 % of Sulphuric Acid (reckoned as H2 S04) Fined £2, and £3 2s. costs 37 Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 3.90 % 38 Vinegar Contained .2 % of Sulphuric Acid (reckoned as H2 S04) Fined £2, and £3 2s. costs 39 Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 3.42 % 40 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 12.1 % 41 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 11.30 % 42 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 11.94 % 43 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 12.45 % 44 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 12.40 % 45 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 11.40 % 46 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 11.90 % 47 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 12.1 % 48 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 12.41 % 49 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 12.27 % 50 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 11.94 % 48a Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 6.48 % 49a Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 5.64 % 51 50a Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 5.28 % 51 Vinegar Contained .1018 % of Sulphuric Acid (reckoned as H2 S04) Summons withdrawn, upon production of warranty 52 Vinegar Contained 12 % of added water Contained Acetic Acid 2.64 % Fined 10s. and 12s costs 53 Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 3.54 % 54 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 12.14 % 55 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 11.89 % 56 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 12.41 % 57 Vinegar Contained .1156 % of Sulphuric Acid (reckoned as H2 S04) Fined £5 and costs 58 Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 3.72 % 59 Vinegar Genuine Contained Acetic Acid 3.84 % 60 Butter Genuine 61 Butter Genuine 62 Butter Genuine 63 Butter Genuine 64 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 12.12 % 65 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 13.16 % 66 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 13.28 % 67 Milk Genuine Contained Milk solids 17.82 % Charged with surplus fat 68 Butter Genuine 69 Butter Genuine 70 Butter Genuine 71 Butter Genuine 52 Table of 90 Samples submitted for examination during the year 1899—continued. No. Article. Quality. Principal Facts of Analysis. Remarks. 72 Butter Genuine 73 Butter Genuine 74 Butter Genuine 75 Butter Genuine 76 Scotch Whiskey Genuine 19.8° U.P. 77 Scotch Whiskey Genuine 18.4° U.P 78 Gin Genuine 33.7° U.P. 79 Brandy Genuine 21.7° U.P 79* Rum Genuine 22.6° U.P. 80 Gin Genuine 34° U.P. 81 Gin Genuine 34° U.P. sugar 2.3 % 82 Rum Genuine 21.5° U.P. 83 Scotch Whiskey Genuine 22.4° U.P. 84 Scotch Whiskey Genuine 24.2° U.P. 85 Brandy Genuine 17.4° U.P. 86 Brandy Genuine 21° U.P.