London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Bethnal Green 1943

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green Borough]

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FOOD

1956-58 (average)19591940194119421945
Unsound Food Seizures215
Surrenders19164145¡l 76204
Samples of Food taken724690559557578520
% of adulteration (all samples)5-95.95.26.55.95.1
% of adulteration (inilk samples)2.62.75.85.50.7Nil

The increase in the number of unsound food surrenders and
the larger amount involved do not represent any deterioration in
the conduct of the food trades but are mostly due to the facts
that retailors have to surrender any unfit food, however small
the quantity, in order to recover the points value under the
rationing orders and that so iuuc'h more canned food, which has
often to be stored for long periods, is now being consumed.

SANITATION Notwithstanding the smaller number of houses and population in the borough and the further reduction in the staff available the sanitary work is still kept at a high level as the following figures show.

1936-5319391940194119421943
Infectious disease and food poisoning20748654046639301221
Complaints475642933625330542263947
House to house inspection672451-4--
I'otal Visits44,60844, 95432,62751,27736,36335,092
Premises where nuisances absted565746585592317235855184
Preliminary notices557562344312358542803675
Nuisance notices247431091878164716231355

DISINFECTION
The Personal. Cleansing Station continues to be very well
used for the treatment of cases of Scabies, as many as 195 men,
502 women, and 446 children attending for this purpose and having
a total of 2405 treatments. The disifecting staff also sprayed
713 rooms and disinfected 34,049 articles.