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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF
HEALTH FOR THE YEAR 1911.
To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Commons of the
Corporation of London.
Public Health Department,
Guildhall, E.C., 23rd April, 1912.
Gentlemen,
In presenting my last Annual Report, my first duty is to express my gratitude
for the generous and unvarying support afforded to me during the thirty.two years that
I have had the privilege of serving as your medical officer.
The importance and responsibilities of the office have greatly increased, and will be
heavier in the future, as the value of health conditions on the welfare of the people
becomes more and more realised.
Many important changes have taken place, and in no direction have these been more
apparent than in the increased care and attention paid to the food supply. Upon the
City, as the Market Authority for nearly one.half of the Country, this question has
imposed heavy burdens. On the retirement of your late Chief Inspector, the opportunity
was taken to appoint a Veterinary Inspector, Mr. T. Dunlop Young, to take charge,
under your Medical Officer of Health, of the arrangements in the various markets, and
with his valuable assistance, the system has been remodelled and developed to meet
modern ideas.
It was found difficult to obtain sufficiently qualified Meat Inspectors, and the
system was tried of taking young men, who had received good practical training in
butchering and slaughtering, and appointing them on probation for a term of three years,
during which time they were to obtain a knowledge of the Markets and the Meat
Inspection, and qualify as Inspectors under the Public Health Acts. When fully qualified
such probationers are eligible for appointment as full Inspectors. The experiment has
proved most successful, and the City has now a well qualified staff of Meat Inspectors.
The Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, 1907, upon which I have
previously reported at length, have greatly added to both the powers and responsibilities
of the City.
In addition to new and commodious offices, the Corporation has provided a
Laboratory, fitted with all appliances for bacteriological and microscopical work ; a
detention room for the examination of doubtful and suspected meat, and a museum for
the reception of morbid specimens, for the purpose of instruction. These have all been
found of the utmost value in carrying on the work of Meat Inspection.
Inspection at any stage is useful in protecting the public health, but the only real
and scientific system is that which deals with the meat at the time of slaughter, when
all the organs are present. The only slaughtering within the City is that carried out at
Aldgate, and in order to ensure the inspection of all animals at slaughter it was necessary
to modify the then Bye.laws,
The introduction of a Bye.law restricting the hours of slaughter, except on due
notice being given, permitted arrangements being made for the presence of an Inspector
whenever killing was going on. While in only 40 cases during the last six months
was notice given for slaughtering outside the fixed hours, the quantity seized as unfit
for food during the year 1911 amounted to 219 carcases, 120 pieces and 5,294 organs,
as compared with 117 carcases, 52 pieces, and 1,684 organs in 1910. While the number
of animals killed increased by 16.5 per cent., the total number of seizures increased by
203 per cent.