Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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164
UNSOUND MEAT, 1902.
The 865 tons 10 cwts. 3 qrs. 23 lbs. seized by your Inspectors as unfit for the food of man, were classified as under:—
1902. | Diseased. | Putrid. | Unwholesome on account of injury during life. | Poultry. | Offal. | Fish. | Total. | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
tons. | cwts | qrs | lbs. | tons. | cwts | qrs | lbs. | tons. | cwts | qrs. | lbs. | tons. | cwts. | qrs. | lbs. | tons. | cwts | qrs. | lbs. | tons. | cwts | qrs | lbs. | tons. | cwts. | qrs | lbs. | |
First Quarter | 54 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 87 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 1 | 24 | 29 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 16 | 3 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 201 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
Second „ | 36 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 181 | 7 | 2 | 25 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 26 | 16 | 14 | 0 | 12 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 264 | 3 | 2 | 17 |
Third „ | 18 | 19 | 1 | 21 | 145 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 41 | 11 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 219 | 19 | 3 | 19 | |
Fourth „ | 40 | 9 | 0 | 19 | 81 | 9 | 2 | 21 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 13 | 3 | 25 | 22 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 180 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
Total | 150 | 7 | 0 | 24 | 495 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 42 | 9 | 3 | 19 | 75 | 8 | 0 | 25 | 101 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 865 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
The above figures include 25,905 separate seizures.
The percentages of Meat seized under a summary of the various headings of the above table and for the preceding five years, were as follows:—
Year. | Diseased. | Putrid.* | Unwholesome on account of injury during life. |
---|---|---|---|
Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
1897 | 11.0 | 84.0 | 5.0 |
1898 | 15.0 | 80.7 | 4.3 |
1899 | 8.1 | 88.2 | 3.7 |
1900 | 10.1 | 85.9 | 4.0 |
1901 | 8.1 | 89.0 | 2.9 |
Average for 5 years | 10.5 | 85.5 | 4.0 |
1902 | 17.4 | 77.7 | 4.9 |
* Including poultry, offal and fish.
Although the quantity of meat condemned was 32 per cent. below that of
last year, being, with one exception, in fact, the lowest since 1896, the
proportion seized on account of disease is the highest, viz., 17'4 per cent.,
recorded in any of your Medical Officer's Annual Reports since 1894.
This indicates an increased activity in the supervision of the market supplies,
and has as a consequence resulted in a marked growth in the number of
prosecutions, no less than 22 convictions being recorded during the year under
review. This is the highest figure yet reached in any one year.