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

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West Ham 1937

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]

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following advice given at the time of inspection. One cow was
found to have lost condition and to be affected with a chronic
cough. A microscopical examination of a sample of sputum from
this cow showed that the animal was affected with tuberculosis.
This animal was forthwith slaughtered under the provision of the
above Order, and a post-mortem examination showed the diagnosis
to be correct—the disease not being advanced within the meaning
of the Order.
Incidentally it may be mentioned that measures were
similarly taken in respect of the three milking herds maintained
at the farms attached to the Council's institutions. All samples
taken from the Council's farms were negative for tuberculosis.
FOOD INSPECTION.
(Excluding the inspection of meat in slaughter-houses.)
The sanitary inspectors have, during the year, made 3,968
visits of inspection to food shops, stalls and to food factories, etc.
General speaking, there is remarkably little attempt to sell
unsound food in West Ham. This is 110 doubt partly accounted
for by the fact that there is a co-operative arrangement whereby
any trader may bring to the office for inspection any food in
respect of which he has any doubt, and may surrender and receive
a receipt for any found to be unfit for human consumption. This
being the case, there can be no excuse for any person who is
found to be selling or exposing for sale any unsound or diseased
foodstuffs.
A very sharp watch has been maintained during evenings—
Saturday afternoons and evenings particularly—over a few
traders who are known to deal in job lots of food, especially
tinned foods, either damaged at sea or rejected by more reputable
traders. Such foods present a constant danger to the health of
the consumer. One such trader has on two occasions, when
warned verbally, produced copies of certificates which he stated
had been granted by other authorities. These certificates vouched
for the fitness for sale of a definite number of tins. The certification
of fitness of unidentifiable tins is a very dangerous practice,
and it should be obvious to any officer that the mere release of the
tins after sorting is in itself a dangerous practice, so long as a certificate
of fitness can be used, and in fact has been used, by unscrupulous
traders to cover the sale of quite different tins in huge
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