London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Merton 1968
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton]
This page requires JavaScript
adequacy of, or the necessity to provide, slaughtering facilities for the
Borough in view of the (then) pending closure of the private slaughterhouse.
All the retail and wholesale butchers within the Borough were
communicated with, as well as other known butchers who had previously
obtained supplies of meat from the slaughterhouse. The result
of the enquiries were as follows:—
Number of butchers from whom enquiries were made 135
Forms completed and returned 91
Butchers already having arrangements for supplies, and those
'not affected' 84
Butchers who had not made satisfactory arrangements for supplies
3
Butchers who were interested in a new slaughterhouse 4
Of these latter seven, the total average weekly requirements did
not constitute a sufficient demand to warrant the provision of a
slaugherhouse within the London Borough of Merton and the Council
so RESOLVED.
During the year eight slaughterman's licences were issued under
the provisions of the Slaughter of Animals Act, 1958.
| Carcasses inspected and condemned where necessary | Cattle | Calves | Sheep & lambs | Pigs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animals slaughtered | 183 | 5 | 88 | 16,842 |
| Whole carcasses condemned | Nil | Nil | 3 | 27 |
| Carcasses of which some part or organ was condemned | 38 | Nil | 2 | 3,212 |
| Whole carcasses condemned | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Carcasses of which some part or organ was condemned | 1 | Nil | Nil | 402 |
| Carcasses of which some part or organ was condemned | 8 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Carcasses submitted to refrigeration | 8 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Generalised and totally condemned | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
The total weight of meat condemned as unfit for human consumption
was 8 tons 0 cwts. 48 lbs.
Three hundred and fifty visits were made to the slaughterhouse
for the purpose of meat inspection and 100% inspection service was
maintained.
Poultry Inspection.
With the closing of the slaughterhouse, the slaughtering and
dressing of hens and broilers, which had taken place there on one day
each week, ceased. A tentative proposal for constructing a poultry
slaughterhouse at the rear of a retail butcher's shop was made during
the year but the idea appears to have been abandoned.
64