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
City of London 1903
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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118
UNSOUND MEAT, 1903.
The 1,142 tons 9 cwts. 2 qrs. 18 lbs. seized by your Inspectors as unfit for the food of man, were classified as under:—
| 1903. | Diseased. | Putrid. | Unwholesome. | Poultry. | Offal. | Fish. | Total. | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tons. | cwts. | qra. | 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 | 48 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 99 | 15 | 2 | 12 | 23 | 15 | 2 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 19 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 199 | 12 | 3 | 7 |
| Second „ | 47 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 126 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 16 | 0 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 29 | 14 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 230 | 14 | 0 | 19 |
| Third „ | 31 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 222 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 22 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 66 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 346 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Fourth „ | 66 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 153 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 32 | 12 | 0 | 23 | 41 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 70 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 20 | 365 | 19 | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 193 | 3 | 1 | 24 | 602 | 3 | 3 | 25 | 76 | 16 | 2 | 18 | 88 | 15 | 0 | 22 | 179 | 13 | 3 | 25 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 16 | 1142 | 9 | 2 | 18 |
The above figures include 32,729 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| 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 |
| 1902 | 17.4 | 77.7 | 4.9 |
| Average for 5 years | 11.7 | 84.3 | 4.0 |
| 1903 ............... | 16-9 | 76.4 | 6.7 |
| *Including poultry, offal and fish. | |||
There was a decrease recorded in the proportion of diseased meat seized,
but the figure is still far too high, being 5.2 above the average percentage for
the preceding five years. There was a notable increase in the quantity of
meat seized as "unwholesome," the percentage last year being 2.7 above the
average for the previous five years.
The proportion of meat condemned on account of putridity was the lowest
recorded since 1894, and was no less than 7.9 per cent. below the average of
the preceding five years.