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63
Street Markets.
The London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1927,
empowered Local Authorities in London to issue licences to street
traders. During 1932, 153 licences to sell various articles of food
as follows were issued:-
Number.
Coffee stalls 13
Confectionery 6
Fish 16
Fruit 36
Groceries 13
Ice Cream 6
Meat 3
Poultry Nil
Vegetables 36
Salads 18
Rabbits 6
The quality of the food-stuff exposed and deposited for sale was
of a high standard and the requirements of the Merchandise Marks
Act (Imported Goods) Order were complied with.
The total number of inspections made of street markets was
1,717. All the storage places for the food-stuffs were regularly
inspected.
Food Poisoning.
The London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1932,
contains a number of important provisions relating to the public
health, among these being the notification of food poisoning.
Section 7 of the Act imposes the duty upon every registered
medical practitioner attending on any person suspected of suffering
from food poisoning, of notifying the Medical Officer of Health,
giving full particulars of the case.
The Act came into force on July 12th, 1932, and from that date
to the end of the year 20 cases were reported.
In the majority of these cases it was found that the suspected
article of food had been eaten by other members of the family
without ill-effects, and consequently they should not be regarded
as cases of true food poisoning ; the illness was more likely due to
acute indigestion.
By arrangement, particulars of the inquiries made into cases of
food poisoning are forwarded to the County Medical Officer of
Health, who arranges for the information to be circulated to the
Metropolitan Medical Officers of Health as a matter of general
interest.
In December of the year under review investigations were
conducted into the circumstances of the death of a boy aged
years which was at first suspected to be due to the consumption of
sweets described as "Licorice and Violet Pills," purchased at a small
general shop in one of the poorer districts of the Borough.