London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1923
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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66
MONTHLY FISH RETURNS.
Table showing Weight of Fish Delivered, Fish seized as Unsound, and Percentage of Fish Condemned to that Delivered, at or near Billingsgate Market, and on board boats lying off that place, during each month of the year 1923.
| Month. | Weight of Fish Delivered. | Total. | Weight of Fish Condemned. | Ratio of Fish Condemned to that Delivered. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By Land. | By Water. | |||||||||
| Tons. | cwts. | Tons. | cwts. | Tons. | cwts. | Tons. | cwts. | qrs. | Per Cent. | |
| January | 18,888 | 8 | 2,258 | 19 | 21,147 | 7 | 62 | 6 | 0 | 1 ton in 339.443 tons or 0.294 |
| February | 16,605 | 10 | 1,891 | 10 | 18,497 | 0 | 102 | 17 | 3 | 1 „ 179.778 „ 0.556 |
| March | 19,483 | 10 | 3,040 | 14 | 22,524 | 4 | 269 | 5 | 3 | 1 „ 83.643 „ 1.195 |
| April | 15,688 | 11 | 2,506 | 0 | 18,194 | 11 | 116 | 15 | 0 | 1 „ 155.841 „ 0.641 |
| May | 18,329 | 10 | 2,204 | 0 | 20,533 | 10 | 152 | 13 | 1 | 1 „ 134.502 „ 0.743 |
| June | 19,182 | 7 | 2,010 | 14 | 21,193 | 1 | 227 | 5 | 3 | 1 „ 93.243 „ 1.072 |
| July | 17,208 | 2 | 2,119 | 0 | 19,327 | 2 | 349 | 16 | 3 | 1 „ 55.245 ,, 1.81 |
| August | 18,202 | 5 | 2,527 | 0 | 20,729 | 5 | 226 | 2 | 0 | 1 „ 91.681 ,, 1.09 |
| September | 15,921 | 13 | 2,706 | 0 | 18,627 | 13 | 132 | 13 | 3 | 1 „ 140.387 ,, 0.712 |
| October | 18,263 | 0 | 2,537 | 0 | 20,800 | 0 | 209 | 9 | 2 | 1 ,, 92.295 „ 1.007 |
| November | 18,330 | 10 | 2,197 | 0 | 20,527 | 10 | 62 | 13 | 2 | 1 „ 327.522 „ 0.305 |
| December | 15,633 | 0 | 1,480 | 15 | 17,113 | 15 | 95 | 4 | 3 | 1 „ 179.695 „ 0.556 |
| Total | 211,736 | 0 | 27,478 | 12 | 239,214 | 18 | 2,007 | 3 | 3 | 1 „ 119.178 „ 0.839 |
| * Compiled from the Monthly Returns furnished to the Corporation by the Fishmongers' Company. | ||||||||||
Weight of Fish Delivered, Fish seized as Unsound, and percentage of Fish Condemned to that Delivered, at or near Billingsgate Market during 1923 and the five years 1918—1922.
| Year. | Weight of Fish Delivered. | Total. | Weight of Fish Condemned. | Ratio of Fish Condemned to that Delivered. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By Land. | By Water. | ||||||
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | cwts. | qrs. | ||
| 1918 | 121,270 | 154 | 121,424 | 2,166 | 9 | 1 | 1 ton in 56.047 tons, or 1.784% |
| 1919 | 158,326 | 9,360 | 167,686 | 3,079 | 16 | 2 | 1 „ 54.444 „ 1.837 ,, |
| 1920 | 231,866 | 19,622 | 251,488 | 2,720 | 17 | 2 | 1 „ 92.425 „ 1.081 ,, |
| 1921 | 198,839 | 28,658 | 227,497 | 2,580 | 17 | 1 | 1 „ 88.089 „ 1.134 ,, |
| 1922 | 210,914 | 31,471 | 242,385 | 2,259 | 10 | 0 | 1 „ 107.273 „ 0.932 „ |
| Average (5 years) | 184,243 | 17,853 | 202,096 | 2,561 | 10 | 0 | 1 ton in 78.897 tons or 1.267% |
| 1923 | 211,736 | 27,479 | 239,215 | 2,007 | 3 | 3 | 1 ton in 119.178 tons or 0.839% |
ENTERIC FEVER AND MUSSELS.
Enquiries, instituted as a result of two cases of enteric fever occurring in a
neighbouring Borough, appeared to indicate that the probable source of infection
was mussels. In both cases the children who were taken ill had eaten a considerable
quantity of these shellfish. It was ascertained that the mussels came to Billingsgate
Market from North Holland and were accompanied by a Government certificate
testifying to their freedom from pollution.
Shortly before the outbreak of the illness, mussels from the same source in
Holland had been bacteriologically examined by officers of the Fishmongers'
Company and had been certified to be satisfactorily clean.
As so frequently happens in these cases there was no proof which would enable
contamination of the mussels to be associated with the illness of the two children
referred to.
FOOD POISONING.
Two separate instances only of food poisoning have been reported to me this
year and the circumstances are as follows:—
On the 9th February I received information that some twenty or thirty*
members of the staff of one of the City Banking houses were suffering from diarrhoea
and that suspicion centred on food supplied on the Bank premises.
Enquiries were made and it was ascertained that the kitchen in which the
meal was prepared, together with the fittings and general arrangements for both
preparation and cooking, were in every way satisfactory. The meal consumed had
consisted of haricot ox-tail, venison and a sweet made of a proprietary cake mixture