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39
Departmental.
The outstanding feature of 1910 in connection with the Public Health
Department, was the remarkable increase which took place in the amount of work
to be done. This increase made itself felt in every direction, and to cope with
it the Public Health Committee found it necessary to recommend the Council
to make considerable additions to the staff under their control. The officers
appointed include one woman sanitary inspector and health visitor, two district
inspectors and one office youth. The staff at the end of the year consisted of,
in addition to the Medical Officer of Health; a deputy Medical Officer of
Health (Dr. J. R. Prior), two drainage inspectors, one outdoor superintendent,
one meat and food inspector, six district inspectors (one—Inspector Hodges—
acts as house-to-house inspector), three women sanitary inspectors, one dust
inspector, one chief and three assistant clerks and an office youth.
The keeper of the public mortuary, the matron and staff of the shelter and
baths, the two disinfectors, the men and women attendants at the conveniences,
and the men employed in flushing the overground conveniences are also under the
control of the Public Health Committee.
In the construction of this part of the report the method of dealing with
the various topics introduced in the report for 1909 will be followed. Full
details will be given, as far as possible, of the work done by each individual
member of the staff, all of whom have worked loyally and well during the year.
Protection of the Food Supply.
Early in 1910 the Council appointed Inspector George Smith who had been a
member of the inspectorial staff for some years, and who had temporarily acted
as Meat and Food Inspector, permanently to serve in this capacity. The duties
for which he was made responsible were the examination of food in shops, etc.;
the inspection of premises in which food was sold, stored or prepared, such as
milkshops, restaurant kitchens, bakehouses, ice cream shops, slaughterhouses,
cowhouses etc. He was also appointed to act as inspector under the Sale of
Food and Drugs Acts and to take samples as directed by the Medical Officer of
Health.
Food Inspection.—This part of the work of the department received very
careful attention during the year. Regular visits to all food premises were made
by the meat inspector, special inspections being carried out on Saturday nights
and Sunday mornings by him and certain of the inspectors possessed of
qualifications and experience in meat examination.
Considerable quantities of unsound food were dealt with, and that traders had
begun to recognise the work done by the department was evidenced by the fact,
that a considerable number submitted articles, which they themselves considered