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Poplar (Poplar and Bromley).—There are 101 bakehouses in the two districts, of which 95
were in use when inspection was made at the beginning of 1895. Of the total, 5 were partially underground
and 26 were wholly underground, 19 had drains inside the bakehouse, 5 had sinks inside,
all except 8 had water direct from the main. In 4 instances the attention of the bakers was called to
the state of the troughs. (Bow).—The bakehouses were inspected four times during the year, and where
necessary notices for cleansing were served.
St. George, Southwark.—There are 52 bakehouses under inspection in the district. The
medical officer of health reports that he has been instructed by the vestry to take action against 8
occupiers of retail bakeries within the last 18 months, it having been decided by the authority that
the premises were, on sanitary grounds, unfit for bakehouses. Of this number only 3 were closed,
and though the grosser defects in the others were remedied, structural defects of a serious character
still exist.
Newington.—The number of bakehouses in the parish is 75, of which 51 are on the ground
floor, and 24 in basements, of the latter number 3 are eel pie shops. They were all in a clean and
satisfactory condition, with the exception of a few needing lime-washing, and 1 in which insanitary
conditions existed, which have since been remedied.
St. Olave.—There are only 9 bakehouses in the district; they were inspected twice during the
year ; the worst of them has been since closed and demolished. Notices were served in 3 cases, where
the utensils were dirty, and 1 where there were accumulations under the troughs.
Bermondsey.— During the year " 81 bakehouses were inspected and maintained in a sanitary
state ; " of these 38 were underground.
Rotherhithe.—" The bakehouses have been inspected twice." The inspector reports that in 12
instances notices were served on the bakers, who complied with them in each instance.
Battersea.—A register is kept of all bakehouses in use in the parish ; during the year 460
inspections were made, and 49 nuisances abated relating to bakehouses.
Wandsworth (Clapham).—" The bakehouses, 49 in number, were inspected twice during the
year; lime-washing was required in 16 instances in May and 17 in October." (Putney).—"All
bakehouses have been inspected twice during the year and found in a satisfactory condition, with the
exception of three concerningwhich notices were served and the necessary cleaning done." (Slreatham).—
" The usual inspection of bakehouses has been effected and all sanitary requirements readily complied
with." (Wandsworth).—All bakehouses have been inspected twice during the year, and where necessary
the usual notices have been served. " Generally speaking they are all kept thoroughly clean."
Camberwell.—In all, 545 inspections of bakehouses have been made, 167 of them having been
made by the medical officer of health, who reports that " owing to the attention which has always
been given to them, their condition, taken as a whole, is by no means so bad as we read of as existing
in other parts of the metropolis."
Greenwich.—The bakehouses were inspected, 144 visits being made, and those that were in an
insanitary condition were reported to the Board. Notices were served in 150 cases to cleanse and
lime-wash bakehouses, and in one instance to abolish an opening to a drain in a bakehouse. Deptford.—
Bakehouses have received frequent and careful inspection. The total number is 91. Of these 51 are
above ground, 38 below ground, and 2 partially so. They are all well maintained, and in a cleanly
condition.
Lewisham.—The bakehouses, which number 90, are regularly inspected.
Woolwich.—"There are 40 bakehouses in the district; structurally many of them are most
defective, but legally the greatest difficulties exist for abolishing them."
Lee (Charlton).—The bakehouses have received the usual attention, and beyond some minor
matters there is no fault to find with their condition. (Eltham).—The bakehouses, 8 in number, were
visited, and were found in a fairly clean condition. (Lee).—The bakehouses in the district (there are
none in Kidbrooke) were visited, and in 6 instances, notices were served to remedy sanitary defects.
Plumstead.—The usual half-yearly inspection of the bakehouses was made. The medical officer
of health reports that " there are now no bakehouses in a decidedly bad condition, and most of them
are very well kept."
Unsound Food.
Many of the reports of the medical officers of health contain accounts of seizures of food
considered to be unwholesome, and in some cases convictions have been obtained against the persons
exposing the food for sale. The food seized generally consisted of meat, fish, fruit or vegetables.
Seizures were made in the following districts:—Paddington, Chelsea, Westminster, St. James, Westminster,
Marylebone, Hampstead, St. Pancras. Hackney, St. Giles, Strand, Holborn, St. Luke, City,
Shoreditch, Whitechapel, St. George-in-the-East, Limehouse, Mile-end Old-town, Poplar, St. Saviour,
Southwark, St. George, Southwark, St. Olave, Bermondsey, Battersea, Wandsworth, Camberwell,
Greenwich (Deptford), Plumstead. In some of the reports details are given as to the seizures ; in the
reports of the medical officers of health of Westminster, St. Pancras, Strand, St. Luke, Shoreditch and
Whitechapel, the quantities and kind of food seized are given.
The medical officer of health of the City states that in 1895 347,283 tons of meat were
delivered at the Central Meat Markets, Smithfield, and 599 tons were seized, this amount including a
very small proportion from Aldgate and Leadenhall. Unsound food consisting of bilberries, onions,
tea, oranges, sardines, Camembert cheeses, ox-tongues, beetroots, yeast, plums, eggs and grapes, often
in large quantities, was dealt with during the year. An especially large number of Australian rabbits
were seized, as many as 26,150, on the 26th July and following days. Dr. Saunders states that
Australian rabbits arrive in this country frozen, but become soft in transit from the ship to the coldair
stores. In a number of instances farmers and others were successfully prosecuted for sending