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60
ADMINISTRATIVE WORK.
Factory and "Workshops Acts Consolidation Bill, 1901, were introduced into the House of Commons.
The two Bills formed the subject of a special report by the Medical Officer of Health, presented to
the Council on July 2nd. As was anticipated, the Bills were consolidated, and the resulting Bill,
the Factory and Workshops Bill, 1901, became law on August 17th last. The Act was the subject
of a special report presented to the Council on December 17th last, which report was subsequently
adopted by the Metropolitan Branch of the Incorporated Society of Medical Officers of Health as
an Official Memorandum of the duties of Metropolitan Officials. The work and responsibility
of the Department have been greatly increased by that Act, and special recommendations as to
increase of the Staff of the Department were in consequence submitted by the Public Health
Committee to the Council on December 18th last, and adopted.
Smoke Nuisance.—Complaints were received during the summer of black smoke from the
shafts attached to (a) Usher's Brewery, Queen's Road, and (b) the Generating Station, Amberley
Road (Metropolitan Electric Supply Corporation, Ltd.) After observations had been taken, the
matter was reported to the Public Health Committee and proceedings were instituted. The results
of these are recorded in the Summary of Legal Proceedings (page 72).
Canal Boats Acts.—The customary Report of the Examiner of Canal Boats was presented to
the Council on February 18th last. Two cases of infectious illness (one each of enteric fever and
diphtheria) were reported on boats within the Borough, and four deaths were registered in the
Borough of persons living on boats, including 2 from diphtheria.
Food Supervision.—On 2nd October last, in the course of an inspection of a restaurant in
Porchester Road, a parcel of meat and fish was found in a putrid condition. The food was evidently
in store for preparation and sale in the restaurant. The inspector seized it and it was condemned
by the Magistrate at the Marylebone Police Court. Summonses were subsequently issued against
the proprietor of the restaurant, F. Yerani, and a fine obtained. Verani subsequently gave up the
restaurant. (See " Summary of Legal Proceedings," page 72.)
The above was tho only occasion on which unsound food was discovered and dealt with during
the year.
It may not be out of place here to refer very briefly to the question of tuberculosis and meat
supply. Up to July, 1901, when Prof. Koch gave his address at the Congress on Tuberculosis, it
was universally agreed that tuberculosis in man and in animals was one and the same disease,
although there was not. the same unanimity of opinion as to the risks incurred by the consumption
of the flesh of tuberculous animals or as to amount of tubercular lesion which justified total
condemnation.
Prof. Koch expressed the views, which he said were supported by his experiments, that bovine
tuberculosis was not identical with human; that human tuberculosis could not be communicated to
animals ; and that the chances of any transference from cattle to man either through meat or milk
were so insignificant as to render it inadvisable to take any steps to obviate such risks. It is
needless to say that such views, diametrically opposed to generally accepted beliefs, were and have
not been received with acquiescence. At the meeting which Prof. Koch addressed, the speakers
following him, all recognized authorities on the subject, did not hesitate to express their doubts, if
not actual dissent. Prof. McFadyean, Principal of the Royal Veterinary College, who gave an
address to the Congress two or three days after Prof. Koch, largely re-wrote his address to combat
the views put forward by the latter. The doubts as to the correctness of Prof. Koch's
pronouncement were so grave and general that the Congress adopted a resolution expressing the
opinion that "medical officers of health should continue to use all the powers at their disposal and
relax no effort to prevent the spread of tuberculosis by milk and meat." The Local Government
Board also issued in September last a Special Circular pointing out the duties of medical officers of
health in this direction and practioally endorsing the resolution of the Congress.