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51
Amongst the cases referred to above, perhaps that of most interest is the fifth on
the list referring to the two tuberculous pigs' heads.
In this case the vendor made a statement at the time of seizure to the effect that
the articles had been purchased in the Central Meat Market, Smithfield, that he had
paid full price for them and that though he had not examined them himself he had no
reason to believe them unsound since there was a system of inspection in vogue in the
market.
He gave the name and address of the wholesale dealer from whom the heads were
obtained, and he, on being communicated with, volunteered the information that though
there was no regular system of inspection of all the articles on his stall, his employees
had instructions to examine everything and call an inspector in case of doubt.
The heads, he stated, were exposed on the front of his stall, and he confirmed the
statement of the local vendor that full market price had been paid for them.
Neither of the parties denied that the articles were tuberculous. After getting
into communication with the Medical Officer of Health of the City of London, it
was ascertained that no official inspection had been made of the articles in question.
The whole of the facts and the results of the subsequent investigations were
reported to the Public Health Committee, who, while considering that the person
from whom the seizure was made was responsible for not making an examination and
that the case was one in which proceedings should be instituted, concluded also that
if the methods of inspection followed in the Central Meat Market were such as had
been described, the protection afforded to the public was not so perfect as it might be.
There were within the recollection of members of the Committee other cases in
which vendors had pleaded in extenuation facts similar to those brought forward in
this case, and attention was directed to cases which had occurred in other boroughs.
These facts influenced the Committee in taking a serious view of the matter, and
it was resolved to draw the attention of the Corporation of the City of London to the
case and to suggest to them the necessity, in the interests of the inhabitants of this
Borough, if not of London generally, of arranging for a more complete system of
meat inspection.
A reply received from the Corporation to a communication sent by the Town
Clerk on the lines mentioned above, gave a description of the methods in use in the
market and pointed out the difficulties of arranging for the complete inspection
suggested by the Committee. This was not considered satisfactory and believing that
if united action were taken by the Councils of all the Metropolitan Cities and
Boroughs something more might be done, it was determined to communicate with all
of these and ask for their experiences in this connection.
At the end of the year all the Councils had not replied, and the further results,
if any, will be mentioned in the report for 1912.