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
Poplar 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Poplar, Metropolitan Borough]
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Meat Inspection.
(1.) Retail Meat.
The Meat and Food Inspectors, during the course of their inspections of retail
butchers' shops, find that the general condition of meat which is exposed for sale
is satisfactory.
A very large proportion of the meat sold in the Borough is imported. The
bulk of the remainder is slaughtered either in this Borough or in adjoining
Boroughs, and a small proportion of home-killed meat is obtained from Smithfield
Market.
Cleanliness, storage, marking, etc., are satisfactory, as the provisions of
the Public Health (Meat) Regulations and the Meat Marking Order made under
the Merchandise Marks Act are rigidly enforced, copies of the latter being supplied
to the retailers.
Number of inspections of retail butchers' shops and meat and
offal stalls 3,767
Number of cases in which meat has been found unsound One
(2.) Ante-Mortem Inspection—Nil.
There is no central abattoir in the Borough where a Veterinary Superintendent
is employed. The slaughterhouses are visited regularly by the London County
Council Veterinary Surgeon.
(3.) Post-Mortem Inspection at Slaughterhouses.
Carcases inspected and condemned:—
| Cattle excluding Cows. | Cows. | Calves. | Sheep and Lambs | Pigs. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number killed | 54 | 535 | 458 | 3,763 | 1,229 | |
| Number inspected | 54 | 535 | 458 | 3,763 | 1,229 | |
| All Diseases except Tuberculosis. | Whole carcases condemned | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| Carcases of which some part or organ was condemned | 2 | 71 | — | 302 | 161 | |
| Percentage of the number inspected affected with disease other than Tuberculosis | 3.7% | 13.3% | – | 8.1% | 13.2% | |
| Tuberculosis Only. | Whole carcases condemned | — | 7 | — | — | 4 |
| Carcases of which some part or organ was condemned | 2 | 228 | _ | _ | 68 | |
| Percentage of the number inspected affected with Tuberculosis | 3.7% | 43.9% | – | 5.9% ___^ | ||
| Both Tuberculosis and Other Diseases. | Carcases of which some part or organ was condemned | _ | 61 | – | – | 11 |
| Percentage of the number inspected affected with both Tuberculosis and other diseases | — | 11.4% | — | — | 0.9% |
The following table shows the total number of organs condemned and is inserted for comparison with previous tables.
| Class of Animal. | All Diseases Except Tuberculosis. | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organs, etc. | |||||||||||||
| Lungs. | Livers | Mesenteries. | Omenta. | Pancreas | Spleens. | Tripes. | Hearts. | Kidneys. | Intestines. | Udders. | Heads. | Tongues. | |
| Cattle | – | 1 | – | — | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — |
| Cows | 10 | 64 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 68 | 10 | 10 |
| Calves | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | — | — |
| Sheep and Lambs | 316 | 52 | – | — | — | 3 | — | 5 | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Pigs | 163 | 21 | 1 | 2 | — | 3 | — | 20 | — | — | – | 3 | 3 |
| Class of Animal. | Tuberculosis Only. | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organs, etc. | |||||||||||||
| Lungs. | Livers. | Mesenteries. | Omenta. | Pancreas. | Spleens. | Tripes. | Hearts. | Kidneys. | Intestines. | Udders. | Heads. | Tongues. | |
| Cattle | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Cows | 225 | 32 | 60 | 10 | 29 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 98 | 98 |
| Calves | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sheep and Lambs | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Pigs | 21 | 17 | 38 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 1 | — | — | 37 | 37 |