LIBRARY AC 4388 WAN 83 Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the Year 1946 by F. G. CALEY, M.A., M.B., B.Ch., D.P.H., together with the Report of the Public Analyst 1 REPORT of the Medical Officer of Health for the Year 1946. To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth. Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen, I beg to present my Annual Report on the Health of the Borough for the year 1946, together with the Report of the Public Analyst. The population of the Borough at 314,030 shows an increase of 50,000 over the previous year. The birth rate, 19.95, is the highest for 27 years, and the infant mortality rate of 32 per 1,000 births is the lowest recorded since the formation of the Council in 1900. The death rate has fallen from 12.69 in 1945 to 11.89. The number of deaths from cancer, however, is still rising and has increased from 537 in 1945 to 682. The number of deaths from tuberculosis has risen slightly from 179 in 1945 to 199, but the death rate from this disease is .63, as compared with .67 for 1945. The lower rate is due to the fact that the estimated population on which the rate is calculated is higher. There has been a material increase in the work of the Sanitary Inspectors, due mainly to the much larger number of complaints received from the public, but the difficulties in obtaining compliance with sanitary notices have increased during the year owing to shortages of materials, and this has had the effect of making the repair of insanitary houses a slow process. Attendances at the Infant Welfare Clinics increased very considerably during the year, when 67,870 attendances were made, as compared with 52,839 the previous year. There has been no special incidence of disease, and the number of notified cases of infectious disease has fallen from 5,474 to 4,226. This decrease was due mainly to fewer cases of measles, scabies and dysentery. I am, Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, F. G. CALEY, Medical Officer of Health. 2 STATISTICS. Population, 314,030. (1945, 264,480.) Total live births, 6,267. (M. 3,209; F. 3,058.) (1945,4,482.) Illegitimate births, 290. Still-births, 144. Birth-rate, 19.95 (1945, 16.94). Total deaths, 3,736. (M. 1,871; F. 1,865.) (1945, 3,339.) Death-rate, 11.89. (1945, 12.69.) There were seven deaths from puerperal causes—equal to a rate of 1.09 per 1,000 live and still births. Deaths of children under one year of age were 202, the infantile mortality rate being 32 per 1,000 births. (1945, 39.) Deaths from Cancer 682 (1945, 537). Measles 2 (1945, 4). Whooping Cough 10 (1945, 3). Tuberculosis 199 (1945, 179). Tuberculosis death-rate .63 (1945, .67). There was no unusual or excessive mortality during the year. STAFF. All the members of the staff engaged on war service had returned to duty by the end of the year. The establishment of Sanitary Inspectors at the beginning of the year was 20, but only 18 were working in the Department, as Messrs. Langford and Newton were still on duty in other Departments to which they had been seconded in 1944. In March, 1946, the Council authorized the appointment of an additional Inspector following Mr. Vicker's appointment as Chief Sanitary Inspector as from October, 1945. Mr. Newton resigned from the Council's service in May, leaving two vacancies to be filled. One of these was filled in July by the appointment of Mr. P. P. Leacock, who had been a temporary Sanitary Inspector under the Council from September, 1940, to August, 1943. The other vacancy had not been filled at the end of the year. The increase in the number of births during the year and the setting up of the Home Help Service necessitated the appointment of additional Health Visitors, and at their July meeting the Council decided to make four new appointments. Miss J. Harris, Miss D. M. Freeman, Mrs. D. Woolcock and Miss D. Sanderson were appointed in October. Mrs. Woolcock resigned her appointment in December. 3 Mrs. I. Williams was appointed Tuberculosis Visitor in November to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Miss Davidson. The number of Health Visitors engaged in the Department at the end of the year was 19 for Maternity and Child Welfare and three for Tuberculosis. The revised salary scales under the Charter of the National Joint Council for Local Authorities' Professional, Technical and Clerical Services, and the Rushcliffe Scale of Salaries for Health and Tuberculosis Visitors were adopted by the Council in November. At the same time it was decided to appoint a deputy to Miss Woods, the Superintendent Health Visitor, and Miss Hancocks was appointed in this capacity. In May Miss D. R. Allen and Mr. G. W. Farrell were appointed rat operatives. Two months later the Council decided to participate in the Ministry of Food's Special Rat Campaign and the appointment of six more rat operatives was authorized in November. Messrs. G. W. Bambrough, A. Goldsmith, W. Alger, F. W. Jeffryes, J. W. Taylor, and S. J. Fletcher were appointed and commenced their duties in December. During the year the Council agreed to a request made by the Wandsworth Technical Institute to allow their Sanitary Inspectors and Health Visitors to act as instructors at courses of training for Student Sanitary Inspectors and Nursery Nurses which the Institute had been asked to organise. The courses commenced in October and continued into 1947. A Sanitary Inspector was required to act as instructor on five days every week for a total of 15 hours a week. The duties were shared by Messrs. Lambert, Willimott, Standish, Eustace, Pearce and Massey. The course for Nursery Nurses involved six hours' instruction every week, and this was shared by Miss E. A. Evans and Miss K. M. Evans. INFECTIVE DISEASES. There has been a decrease in the amount of infective disease during the year, the number of notifiable diseases having fallen from 5,474 in the previous year, to 4,226. Measles is mainly responsible for this decrease. 1,997 cases were reported during the year, compared with 2,471 in 1945. 81 cases of dysentery have been notified compared with 314 in the previous year. There were no deaths. Three cases of typhoid and two cases of paratyphoid fever were notified. There were no deaths. 4 There were 24 cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis, with seven deaths, compared with 10 and one in the previous year. Three cases of polio-myelitis were notified, and there was one death. Five cases of this disease were notified in 1945. 592 cases of scabies have been notified. 2,295 cases of scabies were treated at the Council's Cleansing Station under the supervision of the two bathing attendants. The majority of the cases are now treated by the benzyl benzoate method. BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS. All these examinations are carried out by the Camberwell Research Laboratories. During the year 1,224 diphtheria cultures and 1,084 specimens of sputum were examined. Twenty-five cultures for dysentery, 101 for streptococcus hæemolyticus and 16 for staphylococcus aureus were also examined. DISTRICT NURSING. The Council has an arrangement with the various Nursing Associations in the Borough for a nurse to attend patients suffering from certain infectious diseases and minor ailments. 8,102 visits were made during the year. TREATMENT OF SPECIAL DISEASES. Sixteen persons received treatment for diabetes and one for pernicious anærnia at the Council's expense. The cost during the year was £90. 2s. 6d. PREVENTION OF DIPHTHERIA. There has been an increase in the number of attendances at these Clinics as compared with 1945. 3,977 persons attended the Borough Council Clinics as compared with 2,827 in the previous year, and 1,777 in 1944. The number of children who attended the Clinics held at the L.C.C. Schools has risen from 266 to 1,475. At the close of 1946, the Borough Council had seven Clinics in operation, eight sessions being held every week. The Immunising Agent. The solution now used for routine immunisation is alum precipitated toxoid (A.P.T.) and two injections of ½c.c., each are given at monthly intervals. For persons over the age of 15, three injections, each of 1 c.c., of toxoid anti-toxin floccules (T.A.F.) are given. 5 The total number of children immunised during the year was:— At the Borough Council's Clinics 3,977 At L.C.C. Clinics 1,475 Total 5,452 PREVENTION OF WHOOPING COUGH. Immunisation of children against whooping cough is now carried out at the Diphtheria Immunisation Clinics, when parents wish to have it done. Three injections of .5 c.c. each are given weekly for three weeks, and a fourth injection of 1 c.c. at the end of the fourth week. VACCINATION. 2,314 births were notified to the Vaccinaton Officers during 1945. 1,319 children were vaccinated successfully, and 494 were exempted under declaration of conscientious objection. Of the total number of births the percentage of children vaccinated was 57.00. TUBERCULOSIS. The number of new cases which came to the notice of the Department during the year was 636, compared with 588 in 1945 and 654 in 1944. 563 were pulmonary and 73 non-pulmonary tuberculosis. 199 deaths were certified as due to diseases of a tuberculous nature, the death-rate being .63. There were 20 more deaths from this disease than in 1945, when 179 deaths were recorded. In 1944 the number was 201. 636 new cases were added to the Notification Register, and 491 who had removed, recovered or died were taken off, the number remaining on the Register at the end of the year being 2,822. During the year 1,702 new cases attended. Of these 410 were diagnosed as suffering from tuberculosis, 312 were suspected cases, and 980 were non-tuberculous. Of the 1,702 new cases examined, 454 were contacts, 19 of whom were found to be suffering from tuberculosis. The number of cases remaining on the Dispensary Register at the end of 1946 was 2,127, compared with 2,106 in 1945. The total attendances at the Dispensaries was 6,931. 515 patients received institutional treatment. 4,734 attendances were made for special treatment, and 1,818 X-ray examinations were made. The cost to the Council was £681 4s. 6 The number of personal consultations with doctors was 1,506. Home visits made by the Tuberculosis Officers totalled 1,480 and the Health Visitors made 3,696 visits. Artificial pneumo-thorax treatment has been carried out at several hospitals by arrangement. 277 cases were treated and 4,734 refills were administered. Cost £2,139. 12s. 3d. Seventeen patients received dental treatment. Cost £34. 5s. Od. Extra nourishment as authorised by Section 219 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, has been granted to 17 patients, at a cost of £42 17s. 2d. Ninety-one cases who were ineligible under the scheme received extra nourishment through the Public Assistance Committee. Tuberculosis Care Committee. This Committee, which meets once a month, is constituted of members of the Borough Council, representatives of authorities and organisations interested in the welfare of persons suffering from tuberculosis, and ladies and gentlemen who have a special interest in the work. Activities of the Care Committee. Details of the home conditions and financial circumstances of patients who are to receive institutional treatment are investigated. The Committee also fix the amounts patients should contribute towards the cost of dental treatment provided by the Borough Council. All persons found to be suffering from tuberculosis are interviewed by the Secretary who is able to give them advice and assistance in many directions. She also pays regular visits to patients who are being nursed at their homes, or in one of the London County Council's general hospitals. 2,251 patients were visited or interviewed during the year. The Committee controls a Fund, maintained by voluntary contributions, from which grants are made to patients who are ineligible for assistance from other organisations. Assistance from the Fund is granted to relatives to enable them to visit patients undergoing treatment in institutions. Patients are also assisted with their removal expenses to better housing accommodation, with arrears of rent and insurance payments, and fares to sanatoria. Clothing is supplied when required, and medical and nursing requisites are lent to those who need them. An amount of £288 16s. 1d. was spent in this manner during the year. The Government scheme for assisting tuberculous persons who had to give up remunerative work in order to undertake treatment. 7 came into force in July, 1943. Under this scheme, financial assistance is only granted to patients suffering from the pulmonary forms of tuberculosis, and is limited to those who have every prospect of returning to work six months after completion of sanatorium treatment. Chronic cases are not eligible. Single men and women who are not entitled to any National Health benefit whilst undergoing treatment in an institution are eligible for pocket money up to 5/- per week. 778 patients received assistance under the scheme. Handicraft Class. A Handicraft Class is maintained by the Care Committee where tuberculous patients who are not fit for normal work, are taught to make articles which they can sell. The Class meets at the Wandsworth Dispensary every Monday afternoon from 2.30 to 4.30. The Class is conducted under the supervision of the Secretary and an Instructress. The crafts taught include the making of articles in leather, embroidery, knitting, felt work and the making of gloves. MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE. Of the 6,267 births which occurred during the year, 5,632, or 89.86 per cent. were visited by the Health Visitors. The total number of visits made by these officers for all purposes was 39,668. In addition they attended at Clinics, etc., on 3,429 occasions. There are 10 Welfare Centres operating in the Borough, infant sessions being held at all these Centres and ante-natal clinics at nine of them. Up to the 31st March, 1946, two of the Centres were administered by the Council, while eight were voluntary Centres receiving a grant of 80 per cent. of their approved expenditure from the Council. On the 19th February the Council decided to take over the direct administration, including complete financial responsibility for all the Centres from the 1st April. 67,870 attendances were made at the infant clinics and there were 11,991 attendances of expectant mothers at the ante-natal clinics. No special post-natal clinics are held, but 479 women attended the ante-natal clinics for post-natal examination and advice,. A Dental Clinic is held at the Municipal Buildings for expectant and nursing mothers and children under five years of age. Patients attending the Clinic are required to pay one shilling each time they attend. If dentures are necessary, the patients are assessed on their income in accordance with a scale approved by the Council. 684 patients were seen for the first time and the number of attendances made at the Clinic by all patients was 1,954. Eighty women were granted assistance towards the cost of their dentures, the Council contributing £191. 18s. 7d. 8 Maternity and Child Welfare. PARTICULARS OF CLINICS. Address of Clinic. Days and Times of Sessions. Infant Welfare Clinics. Natal Clinics. Balham; 91 Bedford Hill. Wednesdays and Thursdays at 1.30 p.m. Every Monday at 1.30 p.m. Clapham: Clapham Dispensary, 42 Clapham Manor Street. Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 2 p.m. Every Monday at 2 p.m. Putney: 2 Clarendon Drive. Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 2 p.m. 1st. 3rd and 5th Wednesdays in every month at 10 a.m. Streatham: 37 Riggindale Road. Tuesdays and Fridays at 1.30 p.m. Every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Streatham Hill: Baptist Church Hall, New Park Road. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9.30 a.m. 2nd, 4th and 5th Mondays in each month at 2 p.m. Tooting: St. Peter's Church Hall, Beechcroft Road. Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 1.45 p.m. Every Wednesday at 10.30 a.m. Baptist Church Hall, Longley Road. Thursdays at 1.45 p.m. — Southfield: St. Michael's Memorial Hall, Merton Road. Mondays and Fridays at 2 p.m. Every Friday at 9.30 a.m. Springfield: Congregational Church Hall, Earlsfield Rd. Tuesdays at 1.45 p.m. 2nd, 4th and 5th Thursdays in every month at 2 p.m. Central Wandsworth: Municipal Buildings, Fairfield Street. Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Every Monday at 2 p.m. Dental Clinic. Municipal Buildings, Fairfield Street. Every Monday, Tuesday and Friday, at 2 p.m. 9 The Council grants financial assistance to women who are unable to pay for the attendance of a qualified midwife at their confinements. Contributions are also made towards the charges made by suitable women who assist in the home during confinements. Assistance was granted to 86 cases during 1946. The Council provides consultants to be at the service of any doctor who desires him to see one of his patients during pregnancy, at a confinement or during the lying-in period. Their services were utilised on eight occasions during the year. An emergency obstetric unit is maintained by the London County Council, and is available to doctors and midwives on request. The object of the service is to deal with acute obstetric emergencies in connection with maternity cases which could not be moved to hospital without undue risk. The unit was utilised on eleven occasions during the year. The Ministry of Food Welfare (Foods) Schemes provide that all children and expectant mothers holding a green ration book are entitled to receive one pint of liquid milk a day at 2d. a pint. They can also obtain the following vitamin foods:—Cod liver oil, orange juice, and vitamin tablets. The latter are for expectant mothers only. The Scheme is administered by the Ministry of Food through the local food offices. Twenty-one children have been sent to Convalescent Homes at a cost to the Council of £144. 19s. Od. 146 children under school age suffering from minor ailments were referred to the London County Council for treatment. The cost to the Borough Council for this service was £26. 1s. Od. A clinic for artificial sunlight and massage for children under five years of age when recommended by the Infant Welfare Centres and hospitals, is held at the Municipal Buildings on Tuesdays and Fridays at 2 p.m. During the year, 127 children were seen at the Clinic, and they made 1,811 attendances. Seven women attended the Clinic post-natally, and made 48 attendances. Sunlight and massage Clinics were also held at 91 Bedford Hill, Balham, and at 37 Riggindale Road, Streatham, during the year. At the Balham Clinic 49 children were seen and made 710 attendances. Sixty-seven children attended the Streatham Clinic and made 1,170 attendances. Each Health Visitor has been appointed Infant Life Protection Visitor for her district, and carries out the duties relating to child life protection, under Part XIII of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936. At the end of the year there were 64 foster-mothers registered with the Council, but only 27 were receiving children, 62 being in their care. 10 PREMATURE INFANTS. Special records are kept of all premature infants, who are visited by the Health Visitors as soon as notified and kept under observation until it is clear that they are making satisfactory progress. There were 110 premature births during the year, 60 having occurred at home and 50 in hospital. Of those born at home, 46 were nursed at home and 51 lived through the first month of life. Of those born in hospital, one died in the first 24 hours and three others during the first month. Ninety-seven of the infants survived the critical period. ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN. Since the 1st January, 1945, the Council has made an annual grant of £343 to the Southwark Diocesan Association towards the cost of maintenance in the Association's institutions of unmarried mothers whose homes are in the Borough. There is close co-operation between the Council's Health Visitors and the officers of the Association for making appropriate arrangements for individual cases. MATERNITY HOME. The Council's Maternity Home, which was re-opened in February, 1945, has been operating throughout the year, although it has not been possible to utilize all the beds owing to the difficulty of obtaining a full complement of midwives and nurses. 317 women were admitted during the year. The average duration of stay in the Home was 13.23 days. 296 new cases attended the Ante-natal Clinic held at the Maternity Home and made 3,473 attendances, and 224 cases attended the Post-natal Qinic. DOMESTIC HOME HELPS SERVICE. On the 23rd January, 1946, in accordance with the recommendation of the Minister of Health, the Council decided to bring into operation a scheme for providing home helps for persons who are sick or infirm and unable to obtain domestic help. Maternity cases hitherto assisted with the cost of home helps provided by themselves are also included in the new scheme and are provided with assistance as far as possible. 11 At the commencement of the year two home helps were engaged, one full-time and one part-time. Since then additional staff were obtained and at the end of the year 19 helps were employed. Applicants for the service are required to pay a proportion of the cost, according to their means. The following table shows the number of cases dealt with during the year:— Maternity cases. Other cases. Total. No. of cases completed 143 90 233 No. of cases commenced but not completed by 31st December, 1946 16 30 46 159 120 279 No. of applications received and investigated but subsequently cancelled by patients 64 59 123 223 179 402 DAY NURSERIES. Between 1942 and 1944 the Council established twelve war-time day nurseries providing places for 600 children, and all of them have since been utilized to the fullest capacity. The expenditure incurred in providing and maintaining the nurseries was reimbursed in full by the Exchequer during the war years, but in December, 1945, the Government decided that these arrangements would cease to operate as from 31st March, 1946, and that after that date about half of the cost of the Nursery Service would have to be met out of the Council's funds. As the need for continuing the Nurseries was abundantly clear, the Council decided to retain the war-time Nurseries, and these have been operating throughout the year. The Nursery established at 72 Endlesham Road in February, 1943, at premises which had housed a Nursery School before the outbreak of war was not retained as the Council's tenancy 12 ment for these premises came to an end on 31st March, 1946. The addresses of the 11 Day Nurseries are as follows:— Authorised No. of children. 399 Upper Richmond Road, S.W.15 51 95 Lacy Road, S.W.15 35 72, West Hill Road, S.W.18 44 Fairfield Street, S.W.18 50 20/32 Summerley Street, S.W.18 56 204 Mitcham Road, S.W.17 50 Sherwood Avenue, S.W.16 50 3 Christchurch Road, S.W.2 64 22 Old Devonshire Road, S.W.12 40 14 Cresset Street, S.W.4 50 3/5 Larkhall Rise, S.W.4 60 SANITARY SUPERVISION OF THE BOROUGH. There has been a very large increase in the amount of work carried out by the Sanitary Inspectors during the year, and this is mainly due to the much larger number of complaints received from Borough residents. Sanitary defects were found at 7,595 houses, as compared with 2,728 in 1945. At 359 houses the defects were remedied without the necessity for serving a notice, but intimation notices were required in respect of the remaining 7,236 houses. 4,622 of these notices were complied with during the year without the necessity of serving nuisance notices. A further 1,268 intimation notices served in 1945 were complied with in 1946. The number of nuisance notices served during 1946 was 1,697 and 1,268 such notices were complied with, including a number served in the previous year. There was a large increase in the number of notices required as compared with the previous year. 7,236 intimation notices and 1,697 nuisance notices were served in 1946, compared with 2,618 and 212 respectively in 1945. Proceedings at the Police Court were instituted in respect of 203 premises. Only four Court cases were taken in 1945. The total number of inspections made by the Sanitary Inspectors during the year in connection with housing and nuisances was 44,531; this figure compares with 18,444 inspections in 1945, an increase of 13 26,000. Nearly all of these inspections made were for the purpose of investigating and dealing with complaints. CLEARANCE OF INSANITARY HOUSES. The 21 houses comprising the Cubitt's Cottages Clearance Area in Garratt Lane, which was represented in October, 1937, have now been demolished and the site has been utilised for the erection of temporary houses. Closing Orders were made on 33 basement flats in Larch Road, comprising 102 rooms, all except two being underground rooms. The Orders have been complied with. RAT CAMPAIGN. On the 16th July, 1946, the Council decided to participate in the Ministry of Food's Private Dwellings Special Scheme, which called for the systematic treatment by pre-baiting and baiting of areas in the Borough known to be infested by rats. The Ministry agreed to contribute 60 per cent. of the cost of the scheme, provided a charge was made to the occupiers of business premises which came under treatment as part of an area, and to householders whose neglect causes infestation. The Council appointed six additional rat operatives to carry out the scheme and the}' took up their duties in December. During the year 1,649 complaints of the presence of rats were investigated and dealt with by the Council's rat operatives, who made 6,752 visits. MORTUARY AND CREMATORIUM. The Mortuary at Wandsworth was used throughout the year, and 211 bodies were received there. As Medical Referees under the Crematorium Regulations, 1930, Dr. MacDonnell and I have authorised 544 cremations, which took place at the Crematorium at Putney Vale Cemetery. SUPERVISION OF FOOD. There are four inspectors engaged in the supervision of the food supply. The number of separate food premises is 2,522, and during 1946 they were inspected on 27,785 occasions. There are 124 registered dairies and 387 persons registered to sell milk from premises other than dairies. The bulk of the milk sold by retail within the Borough is sent out in bottles filled in properly constructed dairies, and its quality is good. 14 936 samples were submitted for analysis. 933 of these were genuine, with an average fat content of 3.58 per cent. 331 samples of milk were submitted for bacterological examination, the phosphatase test and the methylene blue test. Thirteen of these failed to comply with the prescribed tests. 82 licences for the sale of designated milks were granted during the year—46 for Tuberculin Tested milk, 35 for Pasteurised milk, and one for Tuberculin Tested (Pasteurised) milk. 24 samples of artificial cream were submitted for bacteriological examination, the Coliform test and for faecal Coli. All three samples were reported as genuine. There are four slaughterhouses in the Borough, three only being in use at present. 153 animals were inspected either before or after slaughter. There are now 17 war-time piggeries in the Borough. 102 inspections were made. During the year, eight applications were received from persons desirous of acting as slaughtermen. 154 consignments of foodstuffs of all kinds suspected to be unsound were examined at the request of the owners, and afterwards released for animal feeding. The owners were granted a certificate to this effect. FOOD AND DRUGS ADULTERATION ACT, 1928. 2,100 samples were procured for analysis during the year— 936 samples of milk, 1,049 other foodstuffs, and 115 drugs. 10 samples were found to be adulterated. Three were samples of milk, and one each of Sausage, Oatmeal, Cake Flour, Pea Flour, Curry Powder, Biscuits and Sugar. It was not necessary to take Police Court proceedings in any of the cases. Pharmacy and Poisons Act, 1933, and Pharmacy and Medicines Act, 1941. Applications were received from 286 persons for their names to be entered on the Council's Register of sellers of poisons included in Part II of the Poisons List. 725 inspections under these Acts were made by the Food Inspectors. FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS. There were 1,441 factories and workshops on the Register at the end of 1946 and, in addition, 228 persons were receiving work to be done in their homes. 15 REPORT OF THE PUBLIC ANALYST. During the year 2,100 samples were submitted, six being formal and 2,094 informal. All the formal samples were milk. The samples submitted for analysis consisted of 936 milk, 1,049 other foodstuffs and 115 drugs. Three of the samples of milk were found to be adulterated. The average composition of the milk analysed during the year was: Total milk solids, 12.41, milk fat 3.58, non-fatty solids, 8.83. Seven samples of other foodstuffs were found to be adulterated, viz.: Sausage, a misdescribed vegetable product; Oatmeal, coarsely broken oats; Cake Flour and Pea Flour, infested with mites; Curry Powder, contained lead in 60 parts per million; Biscuits, fat, 13 per cent., with acid value 20.0; Sugar, 13.7 per cent. Epsom Salts. Samples of the following substances were analysed: Butter, 101 samples; cake, 12; cereals, 31; cheese, 100; cocoa, 9; coffee, 7; essences, 35; fish, canned or in paste form, 31; flour, 3; food powder, 30; ginger, 8; jam, 21; lard, 92; margarine, 101; meat products, 23; mustard, 7; pepper, 1; pickles and sauces, 9; salt, 1; soup, canned, 13; spice, 18; sugar, 101; tea, 100; vegetables, canned, 26; and vinegar 1. The average water content of the 101 samples of butter was 14.9 per cent.; that of the 101 samples of margarine, 15.3 per cent. Seven of the samples were submitted for analysis on the complaints of ratepayers, viz.: Household Milk, Salad Cream, Bun Flour, Cakes and Sardines. All these samples were genuine, and the complaints not justified. A sample of Sausage was found to contain no meat, and Oatmeal was found to consist of broken oats. In conclusion we have to report that the adulteration detected during 1946 was 16.7 per cent. of the formal samples, 0.43 per cent. of the informal samples, and 0.47 per cent. of all samples submitted. We have the honour to be, Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servants, A. H. M. MUTER, F.R.I.C., F.C.S., Public Analyst. J. E. WOODHEAD, B.Sc., F.R.I.C., Ph.C., Deputy Public Analyst. 325 Kennington Road, S.E.11. H. I. ROWLINC & SONS. LTD. (T.U.). 36 York Road, Battersea, S.W.11.