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
Islington 1912
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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1912]
260
INSPECTION OF FOOD.
This work is undertaken by one Inspector, Mr.Wilkinson, who is especially
qualified for it, as he holds the certificate of an Inspector of Meat, and is by
trade a butcher.
During the year he made many thousands of inspections of the places
where food is prepared, and altogether performed very satisfactory work.
Unsound Food.—2 tons, 5 cwt., 2 qrs., 5 lbs. of unsound food were
destroyed during the year after removal from shops and stalls. The greater
part of this food was surrendered to the Inspector, for, as a matter of fact,
the butchers of the Borough work in the greatest harmony with him. Indeed,
it is a rare occurrence to find them wilfully exposing unsound meat; while on
the other hand it is not unusual for them to send for Mr. Wilkinson when they
are in doubt as to the soundness of their goods; and, indeed, at times even to
surrender to him meat which they themselves have discovered to be unsound.
The followng were the foodstuffs which were seized or surrendered and destroyed:—
| Tons. | cwts. | qrs. | lbs. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meat and offal in slaughterhouses | 0 | 14 | 2 | 13 |
| „ butchers' shops | 0 | 15 | 0 | 6 |
| Fish | 0 | 7 | 1 | 18 |
| Vegetables and fruits | 0 | 8 | 1 | 14 |
| Kabbit | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Condensed milk | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Tons | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
In the preceding year 4 tons 13 cwt. 3 qrs. 7 lbs. were seized or surrendered. The quantity dealt with in the 10 years during which Mr. Wilkinson was an inspector was as follows:—
| Tons. | cwts. | qrs | lbs. | Tons. | cwts. | qrs. | lbs. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902 | 3 | 17 | 3 | 16 | 1909 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 18 |
| 1903 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1910 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 25 |
| 1904 | 5 | 8 | 3 | J7 | 1911 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 7 |
| 1905 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 1912 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| 1906 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1902-11 | 36 | 19 | 1 | 17 | |
| 1907 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | |||||
| 1908 | 7 | 1 | 22 | Average | 3 | 7 | 0 | 24 |