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
Croydon 1940
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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The following is a summary of the visits paid during 1939 under the Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act, 1919.
| Premises. | No. of visits made. | No. of poison and other baits laid. | No. of Filled. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private houses | 763 | ||
| Butchers | 3 | ||
| Other premises where food is prepared or sold. | 1187 | 87 | |
| 17 | |||
| Other premises | 76 | ||
| Total | 859 | 1187 | 87 |
FOOD SUPPLY.
The supervision and inspection of the food supplies is carried out
by eighteen of the district inspectors who are qualified in food inspection.
The Public Slaughterhouses are under the control of the Superintendent
who also acts under the supervision of the Chief Sanitary
Inspector.
During the year there were 32,255 animals slaughtered for human
consumption.
The following table shows the premises in the Borough at which foodstuffs are known to be sold, manufactured or stored:-
| General Shops | 232 |
| Grocers and Provision Shops | 762 |
| Greengrocers and Fruiterers | 526 |
| Confectioners, Bakers and Pie Makers. | 683 |
| Ice-Cream Shops | 320 |
| Hotel and Restaurant Kitchens and Dining Rooms | 320 |
| Butchers | 245 |
| Fishmongers (including fried fish shops) | 161 |
| Other food premises. | 62 |
| Ham and Beef Shops | 93 |
| Sweet Manufacturers | 12 |
| 3416 |
In addition to the promises in the above table,there are the
following food premises,referred to in other paragraphs of this report:Salughterhouses
and dairies,cowsheds and milkshops on the registers.
Further,there are a large number of stalls end barrows used for food
purposes in different areas in the Borough and forming street markets.
There are also barrows and other vehicles which pre used by hawkers,etc.,
for the selling of foodstuffs,but it is difficult to estimate the actual
number in use, as this varies daily. All these barrows and vehicles,
wherever found,are inspected by the food inspectors.
A watch has boon kept especially for street traders who frequent
the public Elementary Schools when the children are going in and coming
out,and who trade toys,sweets,etc., for old clothing.
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