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
Willesden 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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Sale of Beer in Public Houses.—An inspection has been made of some 52 public houses in
this area. The conditions found were generally satisfactory. The cellars are regularly washed down and
the walls regularly limewashed. The glasses used are cleansed after use and the wash-up sinks for this
purpose are fitted with hot and cold water supplies. The pumps and pipe lines are dismantled weekly,
soaked in hot soda water overnight and rinsed in cold water next morning. In some cases glass or
stainless steel is used instead of lead piping and in other cases it was stated that the lead piping would
be replaced by one or other of these materials. The surplus beer from the serving returns to the barrels
through the utiliser filter and this appears to be a satisfactory arrangement. Waste beer, on the other
hand, is specially collected in a separate barrel and returned to the brewers.
In this area the brewers send their own inspectors frequently round the public houses. These
inspectors examine and report on the cleanliness of bars, engines, pipe lines, cellars, temperature and
storage. A record card of each inspection and report is kept by the publican and a number of these have
been seen by the Sanitary Inspectors of this Department.
Food and Drugs Acts.—These Acts are administered by the Middlesex County Council and
I am indebted to Mr. R. Robinson, Chief Officer, Public Control Department, for the following tabular
statement, showing the number of samples taken in Willesden and the result of prosecutions instituted
under the Acts during the year 1938:—
Table No . 14.
List of Samples taken during the Year ended 31st December, 1938.
| Article. | Taken. | Adulterated. |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 555 | 2 |
| Apples | 1 | — |
| Cream Pastries | 3 | |
| Gin | 3 | 1 |
| Hake | 1 | — |
| Jam tarts | 1 | — |
| Mussels, bottled | 1 | — |
| Sausages | 3 | — |
| Sheep's liver | 12 | — |
| Whisky | 3 | — |
| White Precipitate Ointment | 2 | 2 |
| 585 | 5 |
Number of Prosecutions 1
Number of Convictions 1
Artificial Cream Act, 1929.
Public Health (Condensed and Dried Milk) Regulations, 1923.
Inspections were made under the above in order to see that the requirements with respect to
labelling were complied with, but no infringements were discovered.
ADMINISTRATION OF FACTORY AND WORKSHOP ACT, 1901
AND THE FACTORIES ACT, 1937 (which superseded the Act of 1901 on 1st July, 1938).
The following tables show the number of premises visited in pursuance of the provisions of the
above-mentioned Acts and the action taken in connection therewith.
Table No. 15.
Factories.
Inspections for purposes of provisions as to health made by Sanitary Inspector.
| Premises. | Number of | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspections. | Written Notices. | Occupiers Prosecuted. | |
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) |
| Factories with mechanical power | 762 | 44 | — |
| Factories without mechanical power | 146 | 3 | — |
| Other Premises under the Act (including works of building and engineering construction but not including outworkers' premises) | 34 | — | — |
| Total | 942 | 47 | — |