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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These are summarised in the accompanying Table.
Cases reported during 1903.
| Date when reported. | By whom notified. | Shellfish implicated. | Source of origin. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1903. June 18 | Medical Officer of Heath, Southend. | Oysters | French ; taken from Pegfleet and relaid in South Deep. |
| Oct. 5 | Medical Officer of Health, Paddington. | Mussels | Hadleigh Ray, Leigh-on-Sea. |
| „ 6 | Medical Officer of Health, Wandsworth. | Oysters | Whitstable. |
| Dec. 2 | Medical Officer of Health, Hastings. | Do. | "Gann's Princesses," Whitstable. |
| „ 12 | Medical Officer of Health, Wandsworth. | Do. | Ditto. |
| „ 17 | Medical Officer of Health, Wandsworth. | Do. | Selected Natives from Whitstable. |
| „ 28 | Medical Officer of Health, Wandsworth. | Mussels | Hadleigh Ray, Leigh-on-Sea. |
| „ 31 | Medical Officer of Health, Wandsworth (2 cases, 1 fatal). | Do. | Ditto. |
Samples from the several suspected sources were taken and submitted for
bacteriological examination, and in every instance they were found to be sewagecontaminated.
Details of these cases will be found under the respective headings, "Oysters"
" Mussels " and " Cockles," in the following pages.
OYSTERS.
Last year I submitted the results of the bacteriological examination of 18
samples of oysters sent to me by the Fishmongers' Company for examination.
Of these, 12, or nearly 67 per cent., were found to be polluted. My Department
was not again actively engaged on this subject of oyster pollution until the
18th June last, when I received information from the Medical Officer of Health
for Southend that a case of Typhoid Fever had been notified to him in which
the patient had eaten oysters procured from Max Ullman, Merchant, Fish
Street Hill. One of your Officers immediately visited the premises and
purchased one dozen natives, which were submitted to Professor Klein for
examination, the result being that they were found to be polluted.
Your Medical Officer then visited the premises and directed the seizure of
two sacks of oysters from the same source, viz., South Deep, that had just been
delivered at the shop.