London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
City of London 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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The results of examination during the year of mutton and lamb, weighing 43 lbs. and over, from Australia, New Zealand, South America and Iceland, were as follows
| Where from. | Carcases examined. | Carcases found to be diseased. | Carcases found to have Lymphatic Glands missing. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 5,947 | 8 | — | |
| New Zealand | 11,232 | 3 | — | |
| South America | 9,540 | 8 | _ | |
| Iceland | 63 | — | — | |
| Totals | 26,782 | 19 | — | |
| Percentage condemned. | ||||
| From Australia | 0.13 | |||
| „ New Zealand | 0.03 | |||
| „ South America | 0.08 | |||
| „ Iceland | Nil | |||
Pig Carcases.—A careful examination was made of a percentage of pig carcases
arriving in the area of the Port Health Authority, the number of carcases examined
being 2,986. Four carcases were found to be diseased.
Actinobacillosis in Ox Tongues.—A percentage examination was made of
every consignment of frozen ox tongues arriving in the area of the Port Health Authority.
Two hundred and eighty-seven consignments were put into dock store, where a careful
examination was made by your Officers of 18,085 tongues, and 105 were found affected
with Actinobacillosis, a percentage of 0.72.
Action taken under the Public Health (Imported Food) Regulations,
1937, resulted in 7,508 tons 9 cwt. 0 qrs. 18 lb. of unsound food being destroyed or
disposed of for purposes other than human consumption.
Disposal of Condemned Foods:—
| Tons. | cwts. | qrs. | lbs. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling Down (recovery of Fats, &c.) | 141 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Cattle and Poultry Foods | 356 | 3 | 1 | 18 |
| Refining | 3,637 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Exportation | 403 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Soap-making | 35 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Removed to other districts | 14 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Reconditioning | 37 | 8 | 3 | 18 |
| Technical purposes | — | 11 | 3 | 7 |
| Distillation | 9 | 17 | 2 | 20 |
| Destroyed—Buried | 2,835 | 8 | 0 | 11 |
| „ —Burnt | 37 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Total weight | 7,508 | 9 | 0 | 18 |
Foodstuff Condemned:—
| Dock. | Tons. | Quantity. | No. of seizures. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cwts. | qrs. | lbs. | |||
| Royal Albert Dock | 360 | 16 | 2 | 20 | 263 |
| Royal Victoria Dock | 690 | 9 | 3 | 15 | 313 |
| King George V. Dock | 89 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 149 |
| East India Dock | 272 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 62 |
| West India Dock | 5,256 | 19 | 2 | 8 | 256 |
| Millwall Dock | 443 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 78 |
| Surrey Commercial Dock | 28 | 8 | 3 | 17 | 96 |
| London Dock | 85 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 190 |
| St. Katharine Dock | 74 | 7 | 2 | 16 | 8 |
| Regent's Canal Dock | 164 | 18 | 3 | 18 | 47 |
| Tilbury Dock | 41 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 140 |
| Total weight | 7,508 | 9 | 0 | 18 | 1,602 |
The approximate weight of goods condemned and the number of detentions and seizures made annually during the last ten years were as follows:—
| Year. | Approximate weight. | No. of seizures. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tons. | cwts. | qrs. | lbs. | ||
| 1929 | 1,743 | 5 | 3 | 19 | 1,569 |
| 1930 | 2,572 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1,574 |
| 1931 | 1,408 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 1,375 |
| 1932 | 2,654 | 13 | 1 | 16 | 1,593 |
| 1933 | 1,303 | 17 | 2 | 23 | 1,359 |
| 1934 | 1,825 | 14 | 2 | 10 | 1,567 |
| 1935 | 2,368 | 13 | 3 | 20 | 1,454 |
| 1936 | 3,288 | 14 | 0 | 26 | 1,588 |
| 1937 | 4,776 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1,545 |
| 1938 | 7,508 | 9 | 0 | 18 | 1,602 |