London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Holborn 1925

Report for the year 1925 of the Medical Officer of Health

This page requires JavaScript

32
Another difficulty is the display of meat on benches outside the shop and
the hanging of carcases on the outside of the shop adjoining the door. No matter
the direction of the wind the effect of the presence of buildings on both sides of
a street is to cause the wind to blow in one direction either up or down the street
along the line of frontage; any meat in front of the shop which is inadequately
protected from the wind must necessarily receive a deposit of dust. The actual
inspection of meat which has been so exposed invariably shows the presence of
dust. If carcases hang too low they are liable to be contaminated by animals.
Although during rush hours the sale of meat from the pavement is a convenience
to butchers it is at the sacrifice of hygiene.
If all butchers selling from shops were required to discontinue the practice
of exposing meat in front of their shops it is difficult to see that any hardship
would be caused. It is noteworthy that during the hot weather, in the best shops,
very little meat is displayed; it is in the cold storage plant. No one contends
that the sale of meat is thereby prejudiced. Any attempt to convert the benches
into an imitation stall is not in accordance with hygienic ideals. The existence of
stalls in market streets in the form allowed by the Regulations is only countenanced
because it is thought that their existence enables meat to be sold at a competitive
price and so tends to bring down the prices generally at which meat is sold to the
public.
If canvas is to be used for the sides and top of stalls in market streets
obviously when it is not in use it should be stored in a cleanly fashion.
It is very desirable that close attention should be paid to the use of water
carts in such streets before street scavenging so as to lessen the dust raised.

The following summary shows the number of butchers' shops and meat stalls in the Borough, and the number of other shops where meat is sold:—

Butchers' shops27
Butchers' stalls3
Provision dealers25
Provision dealers' stalls3
Offal shops3
Cooked meats10
Wholesale (bacon; sausage)3
74

Copies of the Regulations were sent to all the butchers in the Borough and
the necessary inspections made to ascertain to what extent, if any, the Regulations
were not being complied with.
It was found to be the practice in some shops (seven) to expose meat for
sale, outside the shop, on stallboards projecting beyond the building line. Communications
were addressed to the proprietors of such shops suggesting that in
order to guard against the contamination of the meat by mud, filth, etc., the
exposure of the meat beyond the building line of the shop should be discontinued.
In two cases this suggestion was at once adopted. In the other cases the practice
is continued, some protection is afforded by side and top screens and in a few
of them gauze coverings are also used.