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9
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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF
HEALTH FOR THE YEAR 1909.
To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor. Aldermen and Commons
Corporation of London.
public Health Department,
Guildhall, E.C.,
21st March, 1910.
Gentlemen,
In conformity with the requirements of the Local Government Board,
I have the honour to present my tenth Annual Report as Medical Officer of
Health for the City of London.
The activity of the Local Government Board in securing the co-operation
of local authorities in their endeavour to protect the Public from the consequences
resulting from the consumption of questionable food products
imported from abroad, has thrown considerable strain upon the administrative
resources of the department. This was inevitable when the wide-reaching
nature of the Board's requirements are taken into consideration.
In the result, however, of the year's working of the Regulations for the
control of imported meat products, there is no question but that they have
been an unqualified success, and that the placing of restrictions upon the entry
into this country of imported food has done much to check what was, to say
the least, becoming a very doubtful class of business. Foreign Governments,
that were formerly somewhat lax with regard to the supervision exercised by
them over meat exports, have now to fall into line with the requirements of
the Local Government Board in force in this country, as, unless they do so,
their own traders find it difficult to get their goods released by the Customs on
this side, and are thus liable to lose their market.
An illustration of the value of the Regulations was shown in the case of
the Chinese pork, the first consignment of which was landed at Red Bull
Wharf in July last, particulars of which are given on p. 105. Since then,
Dr. Williams, Medical Officer of the Port of London, has reported the arrival
of two other cargoes of frozen Chinese pigs, the landing of which was
prohibited under the Regulations. Other instances will be found in this Report
where the value of Regulations in protecting the public from the distribution
of questionable food products is clearly evidenced.