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 1922
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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52
Actinomycosis in Ox-Tongues.—Most of the ox-tongues which arrived in
the Port of London were, at the request of the consignees, removed from the
district of the Port of London Sanitary Authority (without inspection) to cold
stores within the City of London, the Metropolitan Boroughs of Bermondsey,
Finsbury and Southwark, to be examined there under the supervision of the
Medical Officers of Health of those districts.
About 86 separate consignments were put into cold store within the district
of the Port Sanitary Authority, where the tongues, totalling 22,521, were thawed
out and carefully examined and 338, equalling 1.50 per cent., found to be affected
with Actinomycosis.
The consignments showing upwards of 2 per cent, diseased were as follows:—
| Number of tongues examined. | Number found diseased. | Percentage of those examined. |
|---|---|---|
| 252 | 6 | 2.38 |
| 252 | 6 | 2.38 |
| 252 | 7 | 2.77 |
| 252 | 7 | 2.77 |
| 252 | 9 | 3.57 |
| 244 | 13 | 5.33 |
| 803 | 47 | 5.97 |
| 788 | 50 | 6.34 |
The result of these examinations shows a reduced percentage of diseased
tongues compared with the previous year.
Altogether 150 separate consignments were examined and of those the following showed upwards of 2 per cent. to be affected with tuberculosis:—
| From. | Number of carcases examined. | Number of carcases found tuberculous. | Percentage of total examined. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 90 | 2 | 2.2 |
| „ | 182 | 4 | 2.19 |
| „ | 814 | 19 | 2.33 |
| „ | 48 | 1 | 2.83 |
| „ | 1,422 | 38 | 4.62 |
| New York | 48 | 1 | 2.83 |
| Italy, via Belgium | 50 | 7 | 14 |
Veal.—3 sides of veal, weighing 2 cwts. 2 qrs. 10 lbs., were seized as unfit for
human consumption, as against 16 tons 17 cwts. 2 qrs. 1 lb. destroyed during the
preceding year.
Offal.—The offal seized as unfit for human consumption was as follows:—
| Tons. | Cwts. | Qrs. | Lbs. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheeks, Ox—58 bags, 2½-bags | 0 | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Hearts, Sheep—137 bags, 1 box | 4 | 9 | 2 | 11 |
| Kidneys—1 box, 27 bags | 0 | 17 | 3 | 12 |
| Livers, Ox—3 bags, 1 loose | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12 |
| Livers, Sheep—3 cases | 0 | 0 | 3 | 25 |
| Heads—1 sheep's head, 1 pig's head | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21 |
| Skirts-25 bags | 0 | 17 | 3 | 10 |
| Sweetbreads—11 bags | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12 |
| Tails, Ox—1 bag, 1 part bag, 1 loose | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Tongues, Ox—360 loose tongues | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Tongues, Sheep—41 bags | 1 | 3 | 1 | 26 |
| Tripe—4 bags | 0 | 1 | 3 | 26 |
| Sundries—123 bags, 8 casks, 2 cases | 2 | 14 | 1 | 20 |
| Total weight | 12 | 14 | 1 | 12 |
Sausages.—Only 2 boxes of sausages were seized during the year, the weight
being 1 qr. 11 lbs.
Meats (Canned).—The tinned meats seized and disposed of consisted of 603
cases and 880 tins, weighing 14 tons 12 cwts. 2 qrs. 5 lbs., as compared with 12 tons
16 cwts. 0 qr. 24 lbs. in 1921.