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 1967
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS
| Albumen, egg white solids, granular, or flake | 65 |
| Duck Eggs | 1 |
| Faecal Specimens | 3 |
| Lamb Tongues, canned | 1 |
| Throat Swabs | 6 |
| Water (including 21 from swimming baths) | 152 |
| TOTAL | 228 |
FOOD INSPECTION
Foodstuffs, in addition to meat, condemned as unfit for human consumption as a result of the inspection of food landed at Riverside Wharves and in grocers shops, cafes, restaurants, etc., amounted to 56 tons, 4 cwts., 3 qrs., 12 lbs., which was disposed of as follows:—
| Tons | Cwts. | Qrs. | Lbs. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destroyed | 48 | 2 | 2 | 16 |
| Disposed of to Contractors | 4 | 1 | 3 | 22 |
| Released for Manufacture | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
7 tons, 5 cwts., 1 qtr., 12 lbs., of food were placed under stop and subsequently dealt with
under supervision of other local authorities.
FOOD AND DRUGS ACT, 1955 (SECTION 16)
This Section provides for registration of premises for the sale, manufacture for sale or
storage of ice cream, or the preparation or manufacture of sausages or potted, pressed pickled or
preserved food intended for sale.
The following table shows the types of business carried on:—
| Sale and storage of pre-packed ice cream | 57 |
| Manufacture, sale and storage of ice cream | 2 |
| Brining of Meat | 17 |
| Boiling of Shellfish | 5 |
| Cooking of Meats and Poultry | 10 |
| Cooking of Meats and Poultry for Resale | 3 |
| Manufacture of Dripping | 7 |
| Manufacture of Pies | 1 |
| Manufacture of Sausages | 9 |
| Pickling and Bottling of Shellfish | 3 |
| Preparation and Bleaching of Tripe | 1 |
| Preparation of Jellied Eels and Shellfish | 8 |
| Preparation of Poultry | 2 |
| Selecting and testing of Sausage Casings | 5 |
| TOTAL | 130 |
EXAMINATION OF SAMPLES
Dr. H. Amphlett Williams, the Public Analyst for the City of London has contributed the
following:—
A total of 429 samples (including 404 samples purchased by the Corporation's sampling
officers), was submitted for analysis under the Food and Drugs Act during the year, excluding
samples taken on importation. 47 were taken formally, the remaining 382 being "informal"
samples.
Milk Samples
39 samples of milk were submitted, 36 being formal and 3 informal, and included in the
formal samples were 5 of hot milk from cafes, etc. Of these, 4 were found to contain added
water, the proportions being 14, 7, 7 and 27 per cent. In each instance the presence of added
water was confirmed by the Freezing Point Test, but none of the samples gave a positive reaction
for nitrates, which occur naturally in the London water supply. In spite of past warnings,
steam injection, a method which introduces water through condensation, is evidently still being
used for heating milk in cafes.
23.