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 Port of London]
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74
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 85 separate consignments were put into Cold Store within the district
of the Port Sanitary Authority, where the tongues, totalling 17,261, were thawed
out and carefully examined, and 190, equalling 1.10 per cent., found to be effected
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 11 4.36
252 6 2.38
252 6 2.38
Pork.—During the year a careful examination was made of a percentage of
all consignments of pig carcases landed within the district of the Port of London
Sanitary Authority, and resulted in a detailed examination of 13,623 carcases,
of which 23, equalling .16 per cent., were found to be affected with tuberculosis.
Altogether 172 separate consignments were examined and of those the following
showed upwards of 2 per cent. to be affected with tuberculosis :—
Number of Carcases Number of Carcases Percentage of Total
From. examined. found Tuberculous. examined.
Italy, via Ostend 98 2 2.04
New Zealand .43 1 2.32
Veal.—Eleven sides of veal weighing 12 cwts. 2 qrs. 26 lbs. were seized as
unfit for human consumption, as against 2 cwts. 2 qrs. 10 lbs. destroyed during the
preceding year.
Offal.—The offal seized as unfit for human consumption was as follows:—
| Tons. | Cwts. | Qrs. | Lbs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheeks, ox—50 bags | l | 9 | 3 | 23 |
| Hearts—39 bags | — | 19 | 3 | 20 |
| Kidneys—42 boxes, 44 bags, 21 crates | 2 | 8 | 3 | 12 |
| Livers, ox—37 bags, 3 cases, 1 box | 1 | 2 | 0 | 19 |
| Livers, Sheep—1 bag | — | — | 1 | 27 |
| Heads—42 bags | — | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Skirts—9 bags | - | 4 | 3 | 20 |
| Sweetbreads—5 bags, 1 box, 6 cases | — | 4 | 0 | 11 |
| Tails, Ox—5 bags, 7 loose | — | 2 | 3 | 27 |
| Tongues, Ox—18 bags, 2 cases, 189 loose | 1 | 9 | 2 | 26 |
| Tongues, Sheep—21 bags | — | 11 | 3 | 3 |
| Tripe—42 bags | — | 6 | 2 | 21 |
| Sundries—54 casks, 19 bags, 2 cases, 1 box, 24 quarters | 10 | 4 | 3 | 14 |
| Total weight | 19 | 7 | 3 | 6 |
Sausages.—Twelve boxes of sausages were seized during the year, the weight
being 4 cwts. 0 qrs. 14 lbs.
Meats (Canned).—The tinned meats seized and disposed of consisted of 292
cases and 329 tins, weighing 9 tons 14 cwts. 1 qr. 9 lbs., as compared with 14 tons
12 cwts. 2 qrs. 5 lbs. in 1922.
Meats (Smoked and Salted).—1 bag of hams weighing 3 qrs. 10 lbs. was
seized during the year.
Rabbits (Frozen).—37 crates weighing 1 ton, 4 cwts. 1 qr. 2 lbs. were
seized and destroyed during the year.
Rabbits (Tinned).—Poultry and Game.—20 tins weighing 20 lbs. of the
former class, and 107 cases and bags weighing 4 tons 0 cwts. 1 qr. 25 lbs. of the
latter class of goods were seized and destroyed during the year.
Fish.—The fish seized and destroyed consisted of :—
Tons. Cwts. Qrs. LLs.
Wet—10 boxes — 6 0 20
Dried—2 barrels — 1 2 0
Tinned—437 cases and 1,829 tins 10 13 2 18
Total weight 11 1 1 10