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Section 48 Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
Certificates were granted to the following premises for a proper and sufficient water
supply
"White Swan " p.h., Slippers Place,
32, 33, 34, 35, 41 and 42, Bichardson Street,
Bye Buildings, Swan Lane,
Sandwich Buildings, Swan Lane,
Presbytery, Debnams Bow,
Pottens Flats, Cherry Garden Street,
13, tenements of Tower Buildings, Tower Bridge Road,
Fire Brigade Station, Rotherhithe Street,
111 and 113, Albion Street.
Food Inspection.
Owing to the enquiry of the Local Government Board as to the methods of inspecting,
food, which was held at the Guildhall in 1902, the general inspection of food in the various
wharves and riverside premises, as well as the places where food is manufactured, stored or
retailed, has been much more systematically done than hitherto on the part of the district
inspectors. As regards the wharves, the London Customs Bill of Entry (Bill B) arrives every
morning and the contents examined by the Chief Insjiector, who marks off the wharves in
connection with the district to which food stuffs are consigned. The district inspectors receive
particulars of these, and make a 10 per cent, examination of the food in question. Should
anything be found which is wrong or suspicious a fuller examination is made and the articles in
question detained until they have been suitably dealt with. The wharfingers have been found'
anxious and willing to give every assistance.
Disinfection.
The following table shows the number of articles passed through the steam disinfector
during the year : —
Beds ...
1037
Blankets
1600
Bolsters
578
Carpets
223
Cushions
128
Mattresses
804
Palliasses
182
Pillows
1663
Quilts
1000
Sheets
1353
Wearing apparel, etc.
8478
Total
17046
Food ani Drags.
In Tables XII. and XIII. of Appendix will be found a list of the samples taken during the
year and the action taken.
Altogether there were 721 samples taken, compared with 759 in 1902. Of these 7'6 per
cent, were found adulterated, against 11 per cent, in 1902. I am afraid this lower percentage
does not necessarily mean that there is less adulteration, but probably indicates that the
adulteration has escaped the inspectors.
The administration of the Food and Drugs Acts is extremely important and owing to the
constant influx of new articles of food into the market and the rapid increase of new and more
refined methods of adulteration, there has grown up recently a large amount of literature on
the subject which renders it very difficult for the ordinary Inspector to keep up to date with
the question of adulteration, while performing the multifarious duties which he is called upon to
undertake.
In my opinion, therefore, it would be well for the Public Health Committee to consider the
advisability of appointing an Inspector, whose sole duty would be to administer the Food and
Drugs Acts.
Specialising in this, as in many other branches, leads to a man taking an interest in the
particular subject he has to deal with, and makes him much more efficient in carrying it out.
Another advantage is that the Act could be more uniformly administered by the single
Inspector. Under the present regime, there is a considerable and unavoidable difference in the
methods by which the various Inspectors take samples, and the discovery of adulteration depends
very largely on the way this is done.
About half the Sanitary Authorities in the Administrative County of London have special
Inspectors for this purpose, and, from enquiries made, in those eases in which experience has
been had of both plans, opinion is greatly in favour of having a Special Inspector.
I think that there would be quite sufficient work to keep one man occupied in the
administration of this Act for the whole Borough. If this were not so he could perform other
special duties, such as smoke, food inspection, etc.