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FOOD STANDARDS.
1772 As, however, every progressive step in medicine
or
surgery things experiment, the "anti-vivisectionist"at the present moment has three He may proclaim himself an enemy to courses open to him. all progress in medicine and surgery and subscribe to nothing ; or he may endeavour to discover a hospital in which all the work done is based upon experiments made not upon animals but upon patients, although where he will find this institution we cannot pretend to say ; or, thirdly, he can still reconsider his position and send a belated but acceptable contribution to the Hospital Sunday Fund. must in the nature of
be
an
by parliamentary committees during the past few years, but nothing so definite as the proposal of food standardsthough, as we have urged all along, such standards were required to clear away many difficulties-has ever been decided upon. No subject has ever given rise to more contention than that of fixing standards for food, but it would seem that at last this country is to adopt a method of administration on the same lines as have been adopted by other countries years ago, lines which experience teaches to have been expedient and productive of public good. COMPLIMENTARY DINNER TO SURGEONGENERAL JAMESON, C.B.
THE FOOD STANDARDS. A MOST important announcement has been made in Parliament to the effect that it is proposed to fix a standard for milk under which, for the purposes of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, a presumption would be raised that milk was not genuine unless it contained 3 per cent. of milkfat and 8’5 per cent. of non-fatty milk solids. Regulations to this effect are being prepared, and it is suggested that these regulations should come into force on August 1st. The principle of standards for food becomes thus officially recognised, and this experiment in legislation will be watched with interest while doubtless in some quarters it will be viewed with dismay. The question of adopting standards in the matter of milk has been discussed for a great many years, and many persons have doubted the feasibility of insisting upon any limits, but public analysts have long recognised the necessity of having a legal limitation, if the evidence of analysis is not to be brought into discredit and if the adulteration of milk with water in particular is to be suppressed. For years past the Society of Public Analysts have adopted as minimal limits for fats 3 per cent. by weight, and for solids not fat 8’5 per cent. by weight, and these limits have been accepted as satisfactory by most analytical chemists not only in this but in other countries. It is well known, of course, that milk occasionally falls below this standard, although there may be no doubt about its derivation straight from the cow. But such cases are exceptional and should be regarded as abnormal. In the experience of those who deal every day with the composition of a variety of milks the limit of 3 per cent. of fat is quite reasonable for the mixed milk of the whole herd. Genuine milk rarely, if ever, falls below this limit. Moreover, this limit allows, we think, for all seasonal variations. The question remains whether particularly rich milk will, in view of a legal requirement, be diluted down to the standard. This possibility is perhaps the only serious argument against the principle of standardisation. We have suggested more than once that the buyer of milk should obtain a guarantee from the seller of the quality of the milk supplied and no reasonable person would object to pay a price in accordance with this quality. We certainly do not think that the legalisation of a standard will be a hardship to the milk-dealer. The attenuation of milk by the abstraction of cream or by the addition of water is a much too favourite practice and it must be stopped. The adoption of a standard will, we believe, have the effect of improving the quality of the milk supplied, and the Society of Public Analysts may be congratulated upon the fact that the Government have adopted exactly the limits and standards of milk which the society decided upon for the guidance of their members in active practice some years ago. Other questions are also pressing in regard to the laying down of standards for foods, and a committee is shortly to be nominated by the President of the Board of Agriculture who will be asked to consider a large amount of evidence on the proposal to adopt a butter standard. The administration of the Food and Drugs Act has been a much-debated subject
THE
complimentary dinner to
Jameson, C.B., will take place
be on
given to Surgeon-General Wednesday, July 24th, at
the Hotel Cecil. The cost of the tickets will be 258. All members of the medical profession, whether in His Majesty’s or not, are invited to attend. Gentlemen who wish to services I be present are requested to send their names to one of the honorary secretaries, Mr. G. Lenthal Cheatle, C.B., F.R.C.S. Eng., 117, Harley-street, W., or to Mr. Cuthbert S. Wallace, F.R.C.S. Eng., 75, Lambeth Palace-road, S.E., who will communicate with them with regard to details.
PLAGUE IN CAPE COLONY. A TELEGRAM received at the Colonial Office on June 13th,. gives the following statistics of plague at Cape Town for the week ending June 8th. Fresh cases: Europeans, 7 ;
coloured persons, 2; Malays, 4; Indians, Chinese, Natives, 0; total, 13. Corpses found: Europeans, 0 ; coloured persons, 3p Indian, 1; Malays, Chinese, Natives, 0; total, 3. Deaths
(including corpses found), Europeans, 1; coloured persons, 5 ; Malay, 1; Indiau, 1 ; Chinese, Natives, 0 ; total, 8. The total cases up to June 8th are as follows : Europeans, 180; coloured persons, 313 ; Malays, 53 ; Indians, 11; Chinese, 1; Natives, 142 ; total, 700. The total deaths have beenEuropeans, 58 ; coloured persons, 164 ; Malays, 36; Indians, 9; Chinese, 0; Natives, 59; total, 326. One case has occurred under naval and military control. The area of infection remains unchanged. THE RATING OF WATER
RESERVOIRS.
THE rating of water reservoirs is likely to engage some attention in the near future. In the neighbourhood of Hampton and Sunbury, in addition to the immense reservoirs already existing, it is in contemplation to cover something like 6000 square acres, or about 10 square miles, for additional storage. Recently the Hampton-on-Thames Urban District Council rated some of these massively-constructed water stores on the same basis as any other building used for the storage of goods. This the water companies resisted and a test case was submitted to the House of Lords. It was held that a reservoir was chargeable only as land covered by water, and under Section 211 of the Public Health Act, 1875, was rateable at one-fourth only of the full rateable value. The inhabitants of Hampton and Sunbury, who have recently been spending large sums upon sewerage systems and disposal works, feel greatly aggrieved at this wholesale diminution of their prospective income. At a public meeting held at Sunbury on June 3rd heroic measures were resolved upon. The existing law was pronounced to be iniquitous and unjust; it was determined that it must be altered and steps were resolved upon towards forming a combination with other urban district councils to achieve the reform. Although they have a distinct case, the inhabitants of Hampton and Sunbury will be well advised not to go too quickly. Superficially it seems an anomaly that one structure costing many thousands of pounds, used for the storage of a marketable commodity sold at a profit, should be rated
or
surgery things experiment, the "anti-vivisectionist"at the present moment has three He may proclaim himself an enemy to courses open to him. all progress in medicine and surgery and subscribe to nothing ; or he may endeavour to discover a hospital in which all the work done is based upon experiments made not upon animals but upon patients, although where he will find this institution we cannot pretend to say ; or, thirdly, he can still reconsider his position and send a belated but acceptable contribution to the Hospital Sunday Fund. must in the nature of
be
an
by parliamentary committees during the past few years, but nothing so definite as the proposal of food standardsthough, as we have urged all along, such standards were required to clear away many difficulties-has ever been decided upon. No subject has ever given rise to more contention than that of fixing standards for food, but it would seem that at last this country is to adopt a method of administration on the same lines as have been adopted by other countries years ago, lines which experience teaches to have been expedient and productive of public good. COMPLIMENTARY DINNER TO SURGEONGENERAL JAMESON, C.B.
THE FOOD STANDARDS. A MOST important announcement has been made in Parliament to the effect that it is proposed to fix a standard for milk under which, for the purposes of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, a presumption would be raised that milk was not genuine unless it contained 3 per cent. of milkfat and 8’5 per cent. of non-fatty milk solids. Regulations to this effect are being prepared, and it is suggested that these regulations should come into force on August 1st. The principle of standards for food becomes thus officially recognised, and this experiment in legislation will be watched with interest while doubtless in some quarters it will be viewed with dismay. The question of adopting standards in the matter of milk has been discussed for a great many years, and many persons have doubted the feasibility of insisting upon any limits, but public analysts have long recognised the necessity of having a legal limitation, if the evidence of analysis is not to be brought into discredit and if the adulteration of milk with water in particular is to be suppressed. For years past the Society of Public Analysts have adopted as minimal limits for fats 3 per cent. by weight, and for solids not fat 8’5 per cent. by weight, and these limits have been accepted as satisfactory by most analytical chemists not only in this but in other countries. It is well known, of course, that milk occasionally falls below this standard, although there may be no doubt about its derivation straight from the cow. But such cases are exceptional and should be regarded as abnormal. In the experience of those who deal every day with the composition of a variety of milks the limit of 3 per cent. of fat is quite reasonable for the mixed milk of the whole herd. Genuine milk rarely, if ever, falls below this limit. Moreover, this limit allows, we think, for all seasonal variations. The question remains whether particularly rich milk will, in view of a legal requirement, be diluted down to the standard. This possibility is perhaps the only serious argument against the principle of standardisation. We have suggested more than once that the buyer of milk should obtain a guarantee from the seller of the quality of the milk supplied and no reasonable person would object to pay a price in accordance with this quality. We certainly do not think that the legalisation of a standard will be a hardship to the milk-dealer. The attenuation of milk by the abstraction of cream or by the addition of water is a much too favourite practice and it must be stopped. The adoption of a standard will, we believe, have the effect of improving the quality of the milk supplied, and the Society of Public Analysts may be congratulated upon the fact that the Government have adopted exactly the limits and standards of milk which the society decided upon for the guidance of their members in active practice some years ago. Other questions are also pressing in regard to the laying down of standards for foods, and a committee is shortly to be nominated by the President of the Board of Agriculture who will be asked to consider a large amount of evidence on the proposal to adopt a butter standard. The administration of the Food and Drugs Act has been a much-debated subject
THE
complimentary dinner to
Jameson, C.B., will take place
be on
given to Surgeon-General Wednesday, July 24th, at
the Hotel Cecil. The cost of the tickets will be 258. All members of the medical profession, whether in His Majesty’s or not, are invited to attend. Gentlemen who wish to services I be present are requested to send their names to one of the honorary secretaries, Mr. G. Lenthal Cheatle, C.B., F.R.C.S. Eng., 117, Harley-street, W., or to Mr. Cuthbert S. Wallace, F.R.C.S. Eng., 75, Lambeth Palace-road, S.E., who will communicate with them with regard to details.
PLAGUE IN CAPE COLONY. A TELEGRAM received at the Colonial Office on June 13th,. gives the following statistics of plague at Cape Town for the week ending June 8th. Fresh cases: Europeans, 7 ;
coloured persons, 2; Malays, 4; Indians, Chinese, Natives, 0; total, 13. Corpses found: Europeans, 0 ; coloured persons, 3p Indian, 1; Malays, Chinese, Natives, 0; total, 3. Deaths
(including corpses found), Europeans, 1; coloured persons, 5 ; Malay, 1; Indiau, 1 ; Chinese, Natives, 0 ; total, 8. The total cases up to June 8th are as follows : Europeans, 180; coloured persons, 313 ; Malays, 53 ; Indians, 11; Chinese, 1; Natives, 142 ; total, 700. The total deaths have beenEuropeans, 58 ; coloured persons, 164 ; Malays, 36; Indians, 9; Chinese, 0; Natives, 59; total, 326. One case has occurred under naval and military control. The area of infection remains unchanged. THE RATING OF WATER
RESERVOIRS.
THE rating of water reservoirs is likely to engage some attention in the near future. In the neighbourhood of Hampton and Sunbury, in addition to the immense reservoirs already existing, it is in contemplation to cover something like 6000 square acres, or about 10 square miles, for additional storage. Recently the Hampton-on-Thames Urban District Council rated some of these massively-constructed water stores on the same basis as any other building used for the storage of goods. This the water companies resisted and a test case was submitted to the House of Lords. It was held that a reservoir was chargeable only as land covered by water, and under Section 211 of the Public Health Act, 1875, was rateable at one-fourth only of the full rateable value. The inhabitants of Hampton and Sunbury, who have recently been spending large sums upon sewerage systems and disposal works, feel greatly aggrieved at this wholesale diminution of their prospective income. At a public meeting held at Sunbury on June 3rd heroic measures were resolved upon. The existing law was pronounced to be iniquitous and unjust; it was determined that it must be altered and steps were resolved upon towards forming a combination with other urban district councils to achieve the reform. Although they have a distinct case, the inhabitants of Hampton and Sunbury will be well advised not to go too quickly. Superficially it seems an anomaly that one structure costing many thousands of pounds, used for the storage of a marketable commodity sold at a profit, should be rated