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263 [1906
The butchers' shops and preserved meat and sausage factories, as well as all shops,
stalls, etc., where perishable foodstuffs are exposed for sale, have been systematically inspected
by a total of 6,968 visits, and the observations thereon have been as a whole very
satisfactory. I ascertained, however, in the former part of the year that a rather large
quantity of pigs' heads were being regularly consigned from a firm of bacon curers in the
country to a preserved meat factory within the borough, and fearing that there might not
be sufficient inspection over them at the place of slaughter I gave special attention to these
consignments tor a short period, resulting in the detection of a number of tuberculous heads
and the ultimate prosecution of the consignors, who appeared at the Clerkenwell Police
Court and endeavoured to prove that they had no guilty knowledge of the diseased condition
of the heads in question, and that each one was carefully examined before being sent out.
It transpired, however, that the person who had been held responsible for such examination
was not well versed in the detection of the disease, although latterly it was evident that
some attempt had been made to discover whether or not disease existed in the lymphatic
glands, but the glands most commonly affected had escaped notice.
The magistrate, having regard to a long-established good repute of the firm, accepted
their defence, and ordered them to pay the costs of the proceedings, which were fixed at
£5 7s.
It is pleasing to report that although considerable quantities of pigs heads have since
been consigned to the same place, only two have been detected which were tuberculous, and
these only in a very slight degree.
Two butchers were prosecuted during the year for exposing and depositing for the
purpose of sale meat which was unsound and unfit for human consumption by reason of its
decomposed condition, and they were at the Clerkenwell Police Court fined £5 and 2s. costs
and £10 and £2 2s. costs respectively.
On one occasion I found several pieces of pork from a small pig which had evidently
suffered from hydremia, rendering the meat, in my opinion, unfit for human consumption
on account of its impoverished condition. The meat was formally seized, and after being
submitted to you, was condemned at the Clerkenwell Police Court, and on the circumstances
being reported to the Public Health Committee they decided to take no action.
1 he detection and disposition of other unsound food-stuffs during the year are fully
set forth in the Table B of this report.
Cowsheds.—With respect to cowsheds, I have to report that there are now only 9 (containing
97 cows) on the register, as compared with 13 five years ago; whilst a comparison of the number
of cows kept within the Borough shows a reduction of nearly 29 per cent. during that period.
This is no doubt owing to the fact that Milk Purveyors find that a supply of country milk can be
obtained at a less cost than by keeping their own cows, and that their business can thus
be carried on with less capital and risk. From a public health standpoint this feature
presents two different aspects. On the one hand, a supply of milk produced under more
natural conditions where the cows can graze in the open several months of the year, is preferable
to that produced by artificial feeding in a shed from which the cows never emerge
from year to year. Yet, on the other hand, there is ample proof that in very many rural
districts the sanitary surroundings and filthy condition of cows kept for the production of
milk when housed during the winter months are such as would not be tolerated in a London
cowshed. In support of this statement I may mention that nearly all the cows which come
from the country to London sheds during winter and early spring are in a very dirty condition,
having layers of excreta—which have taken weeks to form—dried on their butts, flanks
and udders, which can only be removed with difficulty and perseverance.