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

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Lambeth 1925

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lambeth Borough]

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107
The Meat Regulations must be carried out and not allowed to become
a "dead letter" within the Borough of Lambeth. This is the
more necessary, as the Ministry of Health has already considerably
narrowed the scope and usefulness of the Regulations by laying down
(by letter dated June 12th, 1925) that such Regulations do not apply
to "cooked meats, lard or sausages, or other preparations of or
containing meat," in connection with which, as a fact, Regulations are
even more necessary than they are for raw butcher's meats. The
recent food poisoning outbreaks in Lambeth Borough have emphasised
the truth of such a statement, proving, practically conclusively as they
have, the great need that exists for scrupulous cleanliness and the prevention
(as far as possible) of contamination by flies or otherwise.
Here again, the value of clean muslin or other suitable material as a
covering, and of glazed shop fronts, cannot be gainsaid.
Any criticism of the Council's requirements as suggested by the
Medical Officer of Health of the Borough, should be constructive and
not destructive, and, as such, would at all times be welcomed by the
Medical Officer of Health himself with a view to helping the trade as
well as improving the public health.*
The following is a tabulation of the work carried out by the
Council's two Food Inspectors in connection with the Public Health
(Meat) Regulations, 1924, representing 9 months work up to
December 31st, 1925, the special Inspectors having been appointed on
12th February, 1925, and having commenced their duties on April 1st,
1925:
(1) Number of visits* paid to slaughter houses, 507;
(2) Number of visits* paid to meat shops and meat stores, 325;
(3) Number of visits* paid to meat stalls, 115;
(4) Number of actual slaughterings at which one or other of the
Food Inspectors was present, 2,797, consisting of beasts
(196), sheep (1,422) lambs (497), pigs (636), hogs (18),
sows (2), and calves (26) ;
(5) Carcases, or portions of carcases, condemned, 26.
Of the 2,997 actual slaughterings, at which one or other of the
Food Inspectors was present, and in connection with which 25 carcases
or portions of carcases were condemned, the diseases necessitating such
condemnation were as follows:—1 tuberculous liver (beast) 11 flukeinfected
livers (beasts), 1 septic liver (sheep), 2 septic lungs (sheep),
1 septic head (sheep), 4 strongylus-infected lungs (sheep), 2 tuberculous
whole plucks 'pigs), 1 tuberculous-infected carcase and offal (beast),
1 actinomycosis-infected head (beast), 1 inflamed heart (sheep). In
addition, was condemned, 1 septic hindquarter (beast), in connection
with a retail meat shop in Brixton.
Further, 38 premises have been altered and improved and the
works completed as the result of the Inspectors' visits, and, in many more
premises, the works necessary to comply with the provisions of the
* A deputation from the Union of London Meat Traders Incorporated attended
before the Public Health Committee on 7th December, 1925.