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
Kensington 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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The London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1928, requires that any premises
used for the sale or manufacture or storage of ice cream shall be registered by the owner or
occupier with the Council and prohibits any premises being used for these purposes unless they
are registered. This new legislation does not apply to premises occupied as a factory or workshop
or to hotels, restaurants or clubs. The number of premises entered upon the Council's register
is 136.
During the past year 172 visits to ice cream premises were made by the inspectors.
Public Health (Meat) Regulations, 1924.—These Regulations provide that no person may
slaughter any animal without first giving verbal or written notice to the Council of his intention.
Upon receipt of such notice, the Council's food inspector attends during the slaughtering process
whether by day or night, and examines all carcases immediately afterwards. During the year
two hundred and fifty-five slaughterhouse inspections were made.
The following table shows the number of animals slaughtered in the borough in 1930:—
| Animals Slaughtered. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Month. | Beasts. | Swine. | Sheep. |
| January | 5 | 215 | 51 |
| February | 10 | 254 | 53 |
| March | 7 | 196 | 63 |
| April | 7 | 218 | 5 |
| May | 5 | 127 | 33 |
| June | 5 | 68 | 29 |
| July | — | 34 | 38 |
| August | — | 21 | 20 |
| September | — | 55 | 100 |
| October | — | 124 | 20 |
| November | — | 240 | 296 |
| December | 6 | 516 | 149 |
| Totals | 45 | 2,068 | 857 |
Diseased meat condemned during this period was as follows :—
| Carcases (including organs) | 34 |
| Forequarters | 2 |
| Hindquarters | 10 |
| Plucks | 125 |
| Heads | 137 |
| Livers | 55 |
| Lungs | 131 |
Slaughter Houses.—These are licensed annually by the London County Council in the month
of October and of the five Kensington licences granted in 1929 only four were renewed in 1930.
These premises are kept in a cleanly condition, and from a structural point of view are not open
to objection.
By-laws prescribing humane slaughtering came into operation in London in 1924, and
approved methods have been adopted at each of the slaughterhouses in the borough. The
Council's food inspector makes frequent inspections to satisfy himself that these humane methods
of slaughtering are applied satisfactorily.
Bakehouses.—There are eighty-five bakehouses in the borough, and of this number sixty-two
are underground. As a result of two hundred and forty-three inspections which were made during
the year, seven notices were served for the cleansing of walls and ceilings.
Other Places where Food is Prepared.—In addition to the premises dealt with above, other
places in the borough where food is prepared or exposed for sale are required to be kept in
accordance with the provisions of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1908. There
were, in addition to the inspection of dairies, ice cream premises, etc., mentioned above, 1,010
inspections of food premises during the year.
Merchandise Marks Acts, 1887-1928.—Under Section 2 of the Act of 1926, Orders in Council
may be made prohibiting the sale or exposure for sale in the United Kingdom of imported goods
specified, unless such goods bear an indication of origin.