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271
[1913
Only four summonses were taken out under the unsound food clauses during the
year. One butcher, being found in possession of several pieces of salt beef exposed for sale
in a state of decomposition rendering them unfit for human food, being prosecuted and fined
£10 and 2s. costs. This shop was closed shortly after this prosecution and not since opened,
although it had been occupied as a butcher's shop for many years previously. One costermonger
and one fruiterer, occupying permanent premises, were prosecuted for exposing
unsound tomatoes, and were at the instance of Inspectors Cook and Jeffrey ultimately fined
10s. and 12s. 6d. costs, and 20s. and 23s. costs respectively.
In the fourth case Inspector West seized 7 tins of condensed milk which were
blown and unsound; the defence, however, proving that they were not intended for sale, the
summons was dismissed.
Details of other unsound foodstuffs dealt with during the year will be found in Table
" B " of this report. Some further explanation as to items in the Table specially noted, may
however, be deemed necessary as follows:—
(a) Your inspector in this case, on entering a tripe dresser's and offal dealer's
premises, saw a pig's head which appeared along with other meat substances to have been
recently deposited on the premises in the basement. This head was that of a well-nourished
young sow; the glands of the throat had been incised for the purpose of examination, but it was
noticed that one of the submaxillary glands, although cut and appearing sound where the
incision was made, showed some abnormality in size and shape at the other end thereof, and
on making a further incision at that point a tubercular nodule was revealed.
The affection was slight, but sufficien to prevent the further preparation of .the head
for purposes of human consumption. The facts were at once communicated to Inspector
Young of the Smithfield Market (by telephone), from whence the head had come, with the
necessary particulars for further investigation. The head was surrendered for destruction.
(b) In this case two separate consignments of 50 and 48 pigs' heads respectively were
sent to a brawn factory, from a bacon-curing factory near Bury St. Edmunds. Two heads
from the first consignment and four from the Latter were found to have tuberculous glands
in the throats. There appeared to have been no qualified examination made of any of the
heads to ascertain whether they were sound, prior to their delivery at the factory in this
district. As a consequence you communicated in each case with the consignors, stating the
facts and cautioning them as to their liability in consigning heads that proved to be
diseased, and you also called the attention of the Sanitary Authority of their district to the
facts. The heads in question were surrendered for destruction.
(c) In this case amongst a consignmen to the same brawn, etc., factory, from a
Cirencester firm of bacon curers, from whom very considerable quantities at regular intervals
for many years have been received, was one pig's head which showed a slight trace of tuberculosis,
had escaped notice, as the incision revealing the nodule had been made prior to
delivery in this district.
Taking into consideration the very large number of pigs' heads consigned here by
this firm, and the fact that they are invariably well examined prior to despatch, with the
result that for many years previously no grounds for complaint had arisen, a formal surrender
of the head by the consignees was deemed sufficient.
(d) The item referred to under this note in the Table, was a quantity of salt meat
found at the sausage factory of a big firm of meat importers and retail traders, which had