Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Report on the public health of Finsbury 1905 including annual report on factories and workshops
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(a) The establishment of public abattoirs and the gradual
extinction of private slaughter-houses (in the terms of
Recommendation A in Report of Royal Commission on
Tuberculosis, 1898).
(b) The appointment of a sufficient staff of properly qualified
inspectors by all Local Authorities responsible for meat
inspection.
(c) The adoption of some system of marking or stamping
meat, showing that it has been officially examined.
(d) An official standard laying down a uniform basis of
seizure and condemnation.
Meat inspection is carried on in Berlin, in some of the British
Colonies, and elsewhere on these lines, and has been found to work
satisfactorily.
With regard to (a) and (c), practically speaking, very little has
been done in this country. Under recommendations (b) and (d)
considerable advance has been made. Most inspectors devoting
the whole of their time to meat examination are now specially
qualified*. Further, a standard of meat condemnation has been
recommended by the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis in their
report of 1898, and the adoption of this standard has been
"strongly urged" by the Local Government Board upon all Local
Authorities and upon the Metropolitan Borough Councils. But,
unfortunately, it appears not to be always followed. In my
judgment, it should be absolutely adhered to and made compulsory,
or withdrawn. The standard, as last issued by the Local
Government Board on September 6th, 1901, is as follows:—
"We are of opinion that the following principles should be
observed in the inspection of tuberculous carcases of cattle:—
*Four of the Sanitary Inspectors at Finsbury hold the Meat Certificate
of the Royal Sanitary Institute.