London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Willesden 1949

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]

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Rodent Control:
Rodent control, as approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Infestation Branch) has
been carried out at the following properties:
Total number of premises treated 628
New agreements 19
Renewal of agreements 60
Business premises 81
Borough Council properties 16
Private dwellings 452
The cost of disinfestation at business premises is recovered from the occupiers, and amounted to
£762 13s. 11d. The service is free to occupiers of private dwellings, but the Borough Council recovers 50 per
cent of the cost in grant aid according to the terms of Circular No. N.S.I9. The total cost in 1949 was
£583 18s. 9d.
The work of rat disinfestation in the sewers is carried out by the Engineer's Department. Where outbreaks
of rats have been detected in defective drains and nests of rats are suspected in the sewage system, co-operation
has been obtained from the Engineer's Department in deciding whether to break open pavements.
There has been a general increase in the work of disinfestation; 7 per cent in business premises and
32 per cent in private dwellings.
Owing to the increase in the volume of work, an additional operator was engaged in June last, making
a total of four for surface disinfestation.
INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD.
Unsound Food:
Section 10 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, makes provision for the examination of food and the
seizure of unsound food. The food trader usually calls in the sanitary inspector when he suspects that he has
been supplied with unsound food, because he can obtain a credit note from the supplier if the sanitary inspector
condemns the consignment as unfit for human consumption.
Owing to general food shortages there is a greater temptation to market foods of doubtful quality. In
view of this fact, it is unfortunate that in the sale of meat and bacon the responsibility of determining whether
the food is fit for consumption is placed on the retailer; he is instructed to return all meat and bacon which
he considers unsound and retains the remainder for sale to the public. The burden of making this decision
is increased by the fact that his experience and training in detecting unsound food is generally not as extensive
as that of the sanitary inspector. Fortunately, he often recognises his limitations and consults the sanitary
inspector when he is in doubt.
The public can play an important part in the campaign to prevent the sale of food unfit for human
consumption, and they make greater use of the services of the Public Health Department as they become more
aware of the dangers of unsound food. There has therefore been an increase in the work of the sanitary
inspectors, and the following table gives a summary of the foodstuffs condemned as unfit for human consumption
during the year 1949. In comparison with the previous years, the amounts have considerably increased. The
fish and meat figures are almost twenty times, and poultry four times, those of 1937 and 1938; there has been
a marked increase in the amounts of all the varieties of tinned foods. The only significant reduction is in the
quantity of bacon. It is difficult to determine whether this is due to the fact that less bacon is being marketed,
or the general quality supplied has improved, or that bacon of doubtful quality is reaching the consumer. It
is to be regretted that so much food has to be condemned while there is a general scarcity but it is essential
to protect the public from the dangers of unsound food.
In addition, food of good quality has occasionally been spoilt by the insanitary conditions and careless
handling in food premises; insects, cigarette ends, a lead pencil and pieces of glass have all been found in
articles of food. The Gladstone Branch of the Amalgamated Engineering Union passed a resolution to the
Council complaining of the unhygienic conditions in the sale of food locally. It is hoped that the activities of
the Willesden Hygienic Food Committee will help to improve the conditions under which food is sold in the
Borough.

Food Unfit for Human Consumption:

Meat:194919481938
Bacon101 lb.284 lb.295 lb. (1,020 lb. in 1937)
Cooked77 lb.269 lb.-
Tinned1,520 tins2,799 tins965 tins
Raw4,968 lb.2,488 lb.262 lb.
Fish: Tinned1,584 tins4,084 tins-
Raw4,349 lb.7,165 lb.222 (wet and dried)
Vegetables: Tinned3,271 tins4,166 tins-
Raw---
Fruit: Tinned1,813 tins2,892 tins-
Raw279 lb.1,359 lb.111 lb.
Bread, flour, cereals, etc8,774 lb.1,936 lb.-
Preserves689 lb.3,889 lb.-
Cheese409 lb.101 lb.-
Butter and fats11 lb.53 lb.-
Eggs2,737 eggs4,254 eggs-
Tinned milk5,071 tins3,896 tins-
Soups269 tins, 1,248 packets462 tins--