London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1919
Report of the Medical Officer of Health of the City of London for the year 1919
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47
MONTHLY FISH RETURNS. 1919.
Table showing Weight of Fish Delivered. Fish seized as Unsound. and percentage of Fish Condemned to that Delivered. at or near Billingsgate Market. and on board boats lying off that place. during each month of the year 1919. †
| Month. | Weight of Fish Delivered. | Total. | Weight of Fish Condemned. | Ratio of Fish Condemned to that Delivered. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By Land. | By Water. | ||||||
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons | cwt. | qrs. | Per Cent. | |
| January | 7,646 | 90 | 7,736 | 75 | 16 | 2 | 1 ton in 102.016 tons or 0.990 |
| February | 10,970 | 40 | 11,016 | 108 | 2 | 0 | 1 „ 101.909 „ 0.981 |
| March | 13,43 | 104 | 13,534 | 63 | 13 | 0 | 1 „ 212.631 „ 0.470 |
| April | 13,199 | 143 | 13,342 | 300 | 0 | 0 | 1 „ 44.473 „ 2.248 |
| May | 14,909 | 324 | 15,233 | 508 | 15 | 0 | 1 „ 29.943 „ 3.330 |
| June | 11,045 | 550 | 12,195 | 172 | 18 | 2 | 1 „ 70.520 „ 1.418 |
| July | 14,015 | 679 | 14,694 | 496 | 12 | 3 | 1 „ 29.587 „ 3.379 |
| August | 15,251 | 705 | 15,956 | 493 | 12 | 3 | 1 „ 32,323 „ 3.093 |
| September | 14,577 | 1,507 | 16,084 | 399 | 3 | 1 | 1 „ 40,293 ,, 2.481 |
| October | 9,300 | 3,443 | 12,803 | 271 | 15 | 2 | 1 „ 47.108 „ 2.122 |
| November | 18,797 | 997 | 19,794 | 105 | 7 | 0 | 1 ,, 187.888 „ 0.532 |
| December | 14,527 | 772 | 15,299 | 84 | 0 | 1 | 1 „ 182.099 ,, 0.549 |
| Total | 158,326 | 9,360 | 167,686 | 3,079 | 16 | 2 | 1 „ 54.444 „ 1.837 |
† Compiled from the Monthly Returns furnished to the Corporation by the Fishmongers' Company.
Monthly Deliveries of Fish at London Central Markets. Smithfield, 1919.
| Tons | cwts. | qrs. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 110 | 19 | 0 |
| February | 142 | 4 | 0 |
| March | 123 | 17 | 0 |
| April | 115 | 14 | 0 |
| May | 155 | 19 | 0 |
| June | 119 | 14 | 0 |
| July | 119 | 19 | 0 |
| August | 106 | 0 | 0 |
| September | 111 | 4 | 0 |
| October | 128 | 3 | 0 |
| November | 126 | 18 | 0 |
| December | 117 | 10 | 0 |
| Total | 1,478 | 10 | 0 |
Of the above. 8 tons 2 cwts. 3 qrs. 7 lbs. were seized as unsound by your
Officers. and those of the Fishmongers' Company. This equals .547 per cent.
of the whole. or 1 ton in 182 tons.
Weight of Fish Delivered, Fish Seized as Unsound, and percentage of Fish Condemned to that Delivered, at or near Billingsgate Market during 1919 and the five years 1914-1918.
| Year. | Weight of Fish Delivered. | Total. | Weight of Fish Condemned. | Ratio of Fish Condemned to that Delivered. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By Land. | By Water. | ||||||
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons | cwt. | qrs. | ||
| 1914 | 165,379 | 43,644 | 209,023 | 1,349 | 17 | 1 | 1 ton in 155 tons or .646% |
| 1915 | 125,031 | 17,942 | 142,973 | 951 | 16 | 2 | 1 „ ,, 150 „ ,, .666% |
| 1916 | 114,268 | 4,529 | 118,797 | 1,183 | 5 | 0 | 1 „ „ 100 „ „ .996% |
| 1917 | 111,548 | 3,623 | 115,169 | 1,750 | 6 | 3 | 1 „ „ 66 „ 1.520% |
| 1918 | 121,270 | 154 | 121,424 | 2,166 | 9 | 1 | 1 „ „ 56.047 „ „ 1.784% |
| Average (5 years] | |||||||
| 127,499 | 13,978 | 141,477 | 1,480 | 6 | 3 | 1 „ „ 95.576 „ „ 1.046% | |
| 1919 | 158,326 | 9,360 | 167,686 | 3,079 | 16 | 2 | 1 „ „ 54.444 „ „ 1.837% |
CONTAMINATED SHELLFISH (MUSSELS).—In May I was informed by
the Commissioner of Police that a man had been taken to St. Bartholomew's Hospital
on the 10th May suffering from fish poisoning. and that another man. who had
accompanied the patient to Hospital. complained of illness on arrival there.
I caused enquiries to be made and learned that both these men had partaken
of a meal of cooked mussels on the day on which the illness occurred at an Oyster
Bar in the City. Shortly afterwards one of the patients commenced to be ill.
and when he arrived at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. the House Physician stated
that the patient "appeared cyanosed with marked respiratory distress. and gave
a history of having eaten two plates of mussels two hours previously. The pulse
was uncountable. running and of small volume. He complained of no pain beyond
the feeling of constriction across the chest; previous to arrival he had vomited.
Six drams of Vinum Ipecac were administered at once; this was returned at once