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

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City of London 1947

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

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This consignment is not of boned mutton but of carcases of lamb and mutton and a preliminary examination of 350 carcases of Patagonian Mutton and Lambs and River Plate Lambs reveals the following conditions:-

Glands RemovedGlands in Situ
ExaminedSoundDiseased.ExaminedSoundDiseased
200 carcases Patagonian Mutton1181108.82766
50 Patagonian Lambs34313.1616Nil
100 River Plate Lambs57561.k33112
350 carcases Mutton & Lamb20919712.1U11231 8
Percentage diseased5.7412.76
Total percentage diseased8.57

It is to be noted that the carcases showing no evidence
of caseous disease are not necessarily free from the disease. In all
probability caseous disease was found in the viscera, which were
rejected at the time of dressing. It is possible, therefore, that
abscesses may be found on cutting into the mutton despite the lack
of evidence of the disease on the surface.
A conference of the Medical Officers of Health of the
.principal ports into which meat is being imported is shortly to be
held at the Ministry of Health to discuss standards for the
acceptance or rejection of caseous mutton and there is little doubt
that the standards will be lowered. There may be some satisfaction
in obtaining uniform action even though the standards are to be
lowered. But the point your Medical Officer wishes to stress is
the difficulty of inspecting boned meat and the pressure put upon him
• and his colleagues to accept diseased "scrap" meat.
DANGEROUS DRUGS.
During the year eight certificates authorising the
purchase of scheduled Dangerous Drugs were issued under the Dangerous
Drugs (no.3) Regulations, 1923, amending the Dangerous Drugs
Regulations, 1921, regulation 15 of which is as follows:-
"If a foreign ship in any port in Great Britain requires
to obtaina supply of any of the drugs in order to complete
the necessary equipment of the ship, the master of the ship
is authorised to purchase and be in possession of such
quantity of any of the drugs as may be certified by the
Medical Officer of Health of the Port where the ship is
(or in his absence by the Assistant Medical Officer of
Health) to be necessary for the purpose, the quantity not
to exceed what is required for the use of the ship until
it next reaches its home port. The certificate given
by the Medical Officer or Assistant Medical Officer of
Health of the Port shall be marked by the supplier with
the date of the supply, and shall be retained by him and
kept available for inspection".
PUBLIC HEALTH ACT. 1936. PART X - CANAL BOATS.
On the 19th January, 1948, the Port Medical Officer made
a report on the steps taken to carry into effect the provisions of
Part X of the Public Health Act, 1936, relating to Canal Boats
within the district of the Port Health Authority, during the year
/ended
(30)