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 1925
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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By reason of Article 7 of the Public Health (Meat) Regulations, 1924, the provision of
the Regulations as to the notice of slaughtering, etc., would not apply in the case of an
animal slaughtered in pursuance of the 1925 Tuberculosis Order, and the No. 2 Order has
been issued to provide that notice of intention to slaughter shall be given to the Sanitary
Authority, as well as to the owner of the animal, in instances where it is intended that the
carcase or any part thereof shall be disposed of for human consumption, and further, that no
part of the carcase shall be removed from the premises for that purpose except with the permission
in writing of the Medical Officer of Health, or other competent officer.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries have expressed the opinion to all Local
Authorities, under the Diseases of Animals Act in Great Britain, that sufficient time should be
allowed to elapse before the animal is slaughtered, to enable the Medical Officer of Health,
or other competent officer to be present at the post mortem examination. The Ministry of
Health has emphasised the necessity of advantage being taken of the opportunity thus
offered.
In view of the fact that the animals affected by this Order are known, or believed, to
be affected by tuberculosis, it is essential that particular attention should be paid to their
inspection before any parts of the carcase, or organs, are passed for human consumption.
The criteria which should guide the inspecting officers are set out in Memorandum No.
63 /Foods, which was issued by the Ministry of Health in 1922.
CENTRAL MARKETS, SMITHFIELD.
*Table showing the average deliveries at the Central Meat Market, and other details or successive quinquennial periods during the past 52 years:—
| Quinquennium. | Annual Average General Supply. | Seizures by Inspectors | % of Unsound Meat. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tons. | cwts. | qrs. | Tons. | cwts. | qrs. | ||
| 1874.1878 | 178,373 | 10 | 0 | 192 | 18 | 2 | .108 |
| 1879.1883 | 218,200 | 12 | 3 | 282 | 11 | 2 | .129 |
| 1884.1888 | 249,580 | 19 | 2 | 248 | 1 | 2 | .099 |
| 1889.1893 | 304,986 | 5 | 1 | 461 | 15 | 1 | .151 |
| 1894.1898 | 372,440 | 12 | 2 | 749 | 3 | 3 | .201 |
| 1899.1903 | 410,456 | 18 | 1 | 1,082 | 13 | 2 | .263 |
| 1904.1908 | 414,906 | 11 | 1 | 1,584 | 19 | 3 | .382 |
| 1909.1913 | 427,146 | 0 | 0 | 1,520 | 2 | 3 | .356 |
| 1914.1918 | 324,715 | 0 | 0 | 1.370 | 11 | 2 | .422 |
| 1919.1923 | 403,364 | 10 | 0 | 1.849 | 19 | 0 | .459 |
| 1924.1925 | 471,671 | 0 | 0 | 1,119 | 5 | 1 | .237 |
*The sources of origin of the Central Markets Supplies during the past five years are here expressed in terms per cent. of the total annual deliveries.
| British. | American. | Australian and New Zealand. Per cent. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country Killed. Per cent. | Town Killed. Per cent. | †froreign Killed. Per cent. | Home Killed. Per cent. | American Killed.‡ Per cent. | ||
| 1921 | 14.1 | 4.9 | 6.7 | 2.1 | 41.3 | 30.9 |
| 1922 | 14.7 | 4.3 | 9.7 | 1.7 | 42.0 | 27.6 |
| 1923 | 14.7 | 5.1 | 9.6 | 0.6 | 47.7 | 22.3 |
| 1924 | 16.6 | 5.2 | 10.6 | 0.3 | 48.4 | 18.9 |
| 1925 | 14.4 | 4.9 | 13.7 | 1.0 | 47.5 | 18.5 |
†Includes "General Foreign Meat and Produce." ‡Includes South American Imports.
*The following figures supplied by the Superintendent of the Market are of interest.
1921. 1922. 1923. 1924. 1925.
Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons.
Average daily delivery into the Markets 1,389 1,513 1,532 1,560 1,517
‡Minimum delivery on any one day 101 142 169 181 147
Maximum delivery on any one day 3,537 3,659 3,411 4,775 5,160
The heaviest weight previously recorded on
any one day (22nd December, 1924) was— 4,775 tons.
‡The minimum deliveries relate to Saturdays when practically no wholesale business at the Market is carried out.
One ton in every 416 tons of meat paying toll in the Central Markets, Smithfield, was
condemned last year, as compared with one ton in 384 in 1924.
* I am indebted to the Clerk and Superintendent of the Central Markets for the figures relating to the market
supplies, sources of origin, &c.