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food supervision.
One application led to a very lengthy correspondence, the applicants disputing the right of
the Medical Officer of Health to set up any standard as a condition precedent to the issue of the
certificate. It was contended, in effect, that the provision of the barest accommodation would
be sufficient, and that if the premises were constructed to accommodate separate households
and some provision made for their sanitary requirements, the Medical Officers of Health was
bound to grant the certificate. The advice of the Local Government Board was sought on
the interpretation to be placed on the Section. The Board, while declining to give any
opinion, stated that the responsiblity of deciding as to the conditions, which in any instance
must be fulfilled before the certificate was granted, rested entirely with the Medical Officer of
Health. Having regard to the very explicit terms of the Board's letter, it seems doubtful
whether an action for a mandamus, such as was threatened in the particular case, would ever
be successful, unless the conditions imposed were manifestly unreasonable. An application
for a certificate affords an opportunity of securing a better standard of dwelling than is provided
by a bare compliance with building laws and regulations, especially if of ancient date.
FOOD SUPERVISION.
Slaughterhouses.—There were seven (7) slaughterhouses in use during the past year,
situate as described below —
Bishop's Mews, No. 1. Portsdown Mews (No. 249 Maida Vale).
Southwick Mews, No. 15. Harrow Road, No. 125.
Edgware Road, No. 275. Upper Brook Mews, No. 6.
Chippenham Mews, No. 18.
The re-erection of the demolished slaughterhouse in Hero Place, Edgware Road, has been
abandoned.
All the slaughterhouses were found to be well kept and clean during the year, and no
objections were raised against the renewal of any of the licences.
The Inspector visited the slaughterhouses on 589 occasions when killing was in progress,
and examined 5,716 carcases in process of dressing, viz.—149 of bullocks, 5,534 of sheep, and
33 of calves. Those numbers are slightly below the records for 1906, but that may be due
to the reduced number of licensed premises. At the same time it has to be observed that
local slaughtering is, on the whole, less frequently practised.
The following organs (total weight, 670 lbs.) were destroyed during the year, for the
reasons assigned in each case :—
Organs. Cause of destruction.
Sheep. Livers, 22—parasites 16, cirrhosis 2, and abscesses 4.
Lungs, 4— „ 2, pneumonia and pleurisy, 1 each.
Bullocks. Livers, 16—parasites, 10 ; abscesses, 2 ; cirrhosis, 4.
Lungs, 4— „ 2 ; pneumonia, 2.
Skirts, 3—abscesses, 2 ; inflammation,!.
2 sets organs (lungs, liver, &c.), tuberculosis.
Food Purveyors' Premises.—The appended statement gives the numbers of the different
classes of premises under the supervision of the Department, and of the occasions on which
such premises were inspected during the year. Owing to the works carried out in previous
years, sanitary defects are rarely discovered. None were reported during the past year.