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The Unit has functioned at the Mass Radiography Centre, 20 Golden Lane, E.C.I, for about
nine months in the year and during the remaining period it has visited firms, etc. within its zone,
viz. the City of London, and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Finsbury and Shoreditch. Of the firms
examined during 1959 many were small and new firms for it has long been the practice of this
Unit not to overlook the smaller firms.
The practice of X-raying both sexes during the same Sessions has been continued with examinees
attending the Unit by prior appointment, with the exception of doctor's referrals who
attend the Unit without appointment under a special dispensation.
The medical procedure adopted in previous years has continued throughout 1959. Where an
investigation has been outside the province of a Chest Clinic the co-operation of St. Bartholomews
Hospital is secured and our indebtedness to Dr. N.C. Oswald and his colleagues is herewith
acknowledged.
A number of conditions other than tuberculosis have been discovered by the Unit and some of
the more interesting are listed hereunder:
Tumors of the bony thorax 1
Congenital malformation of the lungs 96
Bacterial and virus infections of the lungs 25
Hydatid Cyst and Syphilis 4
Bronchiectasis 14
Pulmonary fibrosis — non-tuberculous 29
Spontaneous pneumothorax 4
Benign tumours of the lungs and mediastinum 12
Carcinoma of the lung and mediastinum 14
Metastases in the lung 1
Sarcoidosis and collagenous disease 7
Abnormalities of the diaphragm and oesophagus — congenital and acquired 31
Congenital abnormalities of heart and vessels 35
Acquired abnormalities of heart and vessels 85
Miscellaneous to include, e.g. empyema; foreign body in lung 98
Conclusion
Friendly relationships have been maintained with Dr. J. Greenwood Wilson, Medical Officer
of Health for the City of London, the Medical Officers of Health for the Boroughs of Finsbury and
Shoreditch, and the Divisional Medical Officers in Health Divisions 3, 4 and 5. The services
rendered by the Central Group Hospital Management Committee and the North East Metropolitan
Regional Hospital Board are also gratefully acknowledged.
THE EXAMINATION OF IMPORTED FOOD
The City of London, in the sense that it has a river frontage, is one of the so called riparian
authorities, i.e. it is an authority with a frontage on the River Thames which includes one or more
riverside wharves where cargoes may be unloaded and these cargoes may include foodstuffs.
All the riparian authorities, including the City of London acting in that capacity, have therefore
been granted powers under the Public Health (Imported Food) Regulations similar to those of
the Corporation of London acting in its other capacity of Port of London Health Authority and
working in the five great dock groups.
The other riparian authorities usually included in the list of these are —
Poplar
Southwark
West Ham
East Ham
Westminster
Lambeth
Woolwich
Greenwich
Stepney
Wandsworth
Bermondsey
Thus even before the amalgamation of the Port and City of London Health Departments, the
City of London Health Services in that part of them that deal with the City's riparian activities,
had to operate the Public Health (Imported Food) Regulations.
The amalgamation of the Port and City of London Health Departments resulted in the setting
up of an administrative section that would deal with port health administration, both for the Port
of London Health Authority (in the 5 major dock groups) and for the City of London riparian
Health Authority.
Conferences with the other riparian authorities are now convened regularly with a view to
achieving agreed standards of judgment on food imports.
Another aspect of the old separate City of London Health Service also comes into this picture,
namely Smithfield with its adjacent Cold Stores, because large quantities of the meat
imported through the Docks, ends up at Smithfield and in the Cold Stores.
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