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Report of the County Medical Officer—General. 73
Inspection of food.
A very considerable amount of work is done throughout London in connection with the protection
of the food supply. As regards meat, the City of London Corporation, which has the control of the Central
Markets, has the greatest amount of responsibility; indeed, it is estimated that three-fourths of the
meat imported into the United Kingdom passes under the observation of the officers of the Corporation
either in the Central Meat Markets or in the City Cold Stores. It is noted, however, that there is a
growing shortage in the supplies of meat exported to this country from America owing to the rapid
growth of the population of the United States and Canada. Incidentally it is mentioned that in the
States a decrease of 16,000,000 head of cattle has taken place during the last six years, while the
population is said to have increased 21 per cent. According to the report of the chief veterinary inspector
of the City of London, tuberculosis still occupies most of the attention of the inspectors in the markets,
and more than 53 tons of meat were seized on account of this disease. The total quantity of unsound
meat seized as unfit for food amounted to more than 1,052 tons. In all the boroughs of London special
attention is directed to the purity of the food supply, and in nearly all the reports mention is made of
•seizures and surrenders not only of meat but of unsound or unwholesome food of every description.

(a) No shelter maintained by borough council. In the case of Holborn 9 persons were accommodated in the
Finsbury Borough Council's shelter.
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