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

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Holborn 1925

Report for the year 1925 of the Medical Officer of Health

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34
and other fish shops, premises where ice cream is made, and other places where
food is prepared for sale, excluding bakehouses which are reported on above.

The number of such places on the register at the end of the year was as follows:—

Hotels, Restaurants and Eating Houses224
Slaughter-houses1
Tripe, offal and other meat shops33
Fried Fish shops11
Fish shops14
Ice Cream (Manufacture)81
Poulterers3

During the year 2,884 inspections of food premises and market streets went
made and 31 notices served for sanitary defects found.
Washing up Arrangements.
The Hygiene of Restaurants, Eating Houses and Public Houses.
In the Annual Report for 1923 especial attention was called to the need for
efficient washing up arrangements in connection with the large number of places
in the Borough where meals were consumed by the public.
An interesting comment on the importance of this subject is a report by a wellknown
American bacteriologist who confirms, what we have known for a long time,
that table utensils which have been used by tuberculous people do carry bacilli,
and that the remains of food found on their unwashed spoons and forks give
tuberculosis to about 10 per cent. of the guinea pigs into which they are injected.
But it must be noted that these results were obtained before any washing has
taken place. After carefully cleansing the crockery and plate in a mechanical
apparatus in which they are stirred about in boiling water and then dried with
hot air, no animal used for experimentation has ever contracted tuberculosis.
In many restaurants fortunately hot soda water is most frequently used for the
crockery, as it is the easiest way of cleaning greasy plates. It happens to be, at
the same time, an excellent way of disinfecting. The problem is more complicated,
however, for glasses, as hot water cracks common glasses; it is to be hoped that in
the conflict between respect for hygienic measures and the fear of breakage, the
public health will receive due consideration.
Cleanliness and Food.
Not less important than the cleansing of crockery and utensils is the
cleanliness of all persons engaged in the preparation and handling of food. The
hands of all such persons should be kept clean and the washing of hands after
using the water closet should be secured; facilities for such washing should be
provided adjacent or near to the sanitary accommodation in all premises where
food is prepared and clean towels should be readily available.