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Many vessels which previously brought consignments of ox-livers consigned
to London, have during the past year arrived with these goods on board, but
consigned to some other port or ports in the United Kingdom. Whenever it
has been known to your Medical Officer that such goods were on board a
vessel sailing from London for another port in the United Kingdom, the
information has been forwarded to the Medical Officer of Health for the port
concerned.
UNSOUND COFFEE.
On the 31st May, the s.s. "Emerald" arrived in the East India Dock,
having on board a large quantity of coffee beans, salved from the s.s.
"Minnehaha," which was stranded on the Scilly Isles in the previous month.
The coffee was more or less saturated with sea water and heated.
Your Medical Officer communicated with the underwriters, who asked to be
allowed to take the coffee to Ipswich, where there were better facilities for
dealing with a large quantity than in London. Accordingly permission was
given for about 337 tons to be taken to Ipswich to be dried and dealt with
under the supervision of the Medical Officer of Health for Ipswich.
That which remained in London was dried and garbled, with the result that
about 568 bags, and tons of loose coffee was set aside as unfit for human
food, and was seized by one of your Food Inspectors. The owners were
given the opportunity of dealing with this for the extraction of caffeine,
provided such extraction was carried out in this country under proper
supervision.