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

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City of London 1913

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]

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61
come under observation, we are of opinion that when once the position has been
clearly defined, the work of sorting and of preventing unsound food reaching
this country should be the primary duty of the exporting firms. The
responsibilities of your own staff should be restored as soon as possible to
normal conditions, which are to ensure that all food stuffs on arrival are
sound, free from disease, and fit for human consumption.
4. The observation that a large percentage of the tongues are affected with
Actinomycosis in the glands alone, and unless these glands remain attached to
the roots of the tongues, it will be impossible in such cases to state whether
the tongues have come from animals infected with Antinomycosis.
We, therefore, feel strongly that regulations should be framed rendering
the importation of tongues without the roots and glands attached liable to
re-exportation.
5. The question of Actinomycosis as affecting cattle, and even the
prevalence of the disease in general, does not appear to us, after a review of
the literature on the subject, to have been adequately investigated, and we
beg respectfully to suggest that it is a matter on which further research
work might be undertaken with advantage.
The tongues arrived in boxes containing 12 in each, these were frozen hard,
and it was necessary to defrost them until they were soft enough. This was done
by laying them out 24 to 48 hours previously. The work was extremely monotonous,
and during the winter months was performed in a store, the temperature of which
was about the freezing point, and the handling of the cold tongues was positively
painful. Nevertheless, the examination was performed by the Inspectors and Assistant
Medical Officer, loyally and willingly, and I desire to express my appreciation of the
valuable services rendered by them under conditions involving, to say the least, extreme
personal discomfort.
TABLE XXXIII.

The following is a list of pig-carcases found during the year to be affected with Tuberculosis. They were seized as unfit for food and destroyed:—

Date.Name of Vessel.Where from.Where lying.Number of Carcases.
1913.
Feb. 6s.s. "Cambrian "BostonRoyal Albert Dock3
Dec. 11s.s. "Prins Hendrik"FlushingQueenborough1

The United States Department of Agriculture have issued the following instructions
with regard to meat imported into the United States of America after transhipment in
a foreign country :—
"Referring to the foreign inspection certificates which are required to accompany
"meat and meat food products imported into the United States, instructions are issued
"as follows:—
"In the case of shipment through another foreign country, with the meat
"or meat food product thus transhipped there shall be presented to the Bureau
"inspector the original certificate from the country of origin, or a certified copy