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 1968
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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The Corporation of London as the Port Health Authority for the Port of London was represented
by a float in the form of one of the Authority's launches on which was depicted four
examples of the Port Health Authority's many functions. The displays, with suitable backgrounds,
showed the Quarantine Health Control applied to inward vessels; the inspection of imported
foodstuffs, including meat; hygiene on ships; and rodent and insect control on ships andin dock
storage premises. The personnel manning the float were officers directly engaged in the function
displayed.
FOOD INSPECTION
The total amount of foodstuffs detained for examination and either condemned as unfit for
human consumption and destroyed or otherwise disposed of under guarantee and suDervision
was 1583 tons 1 cwt. 0 qrs. 27 lbs.
The following is a summary showing methods of disposal:-
| Weight 1968 | Comparable Weight | 1967. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tons. | Cwts. | Qrs. | Lbs. | Tons. | Cwts. | Qrs. | Lbs. | |
| Burnt | 74 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 44 | 19 | 2 | 21 |
| Buried | 779 | 14 | 0 | 17 | 1,763 | 4 | 0 | 13 |
| Contractor | 36 | 12 | 1 | 19 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 15 |
| *Other Districts | 195 | 12 | 2 | 21 | 78 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| *Animal Feeding | 188 | 19 | 3 | 26 | 59 | 0 | 1 | 27 |
| Re-exported | 307 | 10 | 1 | 24 | 285 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Totals | 1,583 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 2,259 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Items marked * were released with the agreement of and under the supervision of local Medical Officers of Health.
Of the 1583 tons listed above, the principal items and methods of disposal consisted of:-
| Burnt | Tons. | Cwts. |
|---|---|---|
| 9,062 Tins, 561 Cartons and 56 Jars fruit, | ||
| fish, meat, vegetables, pulps and juices- | ||
| burst, blown, leaking and broken. | 15 | 3 |
| 49 Bags Rice - Rodent damage, sweepings and dirty. | 2 | 3 |
| 13 Bags Millet - Rodent damaged. | 13 | |
| 18 Bags Yellow Grain Flour - Rodent damaged. | 18 | |
| 2 Bags Fine Polenca - Rodent damaged | 2 | |
| 3 Bags Maize Flour - Rodent damaged | 3 | |
| 21 Cartons Macaroni - Rodent damaged and dirty | 5 | |
| 6 Bags Lentils - Rodent damaged | 2 | |
| 198 Cartons and Bags Beans - Rotten, mouldy or Rodent damaged | 1 | 3 |
| 13 Bags Pigeon Peas - Rodent damage | 6 | |
| 32 Bags Pumpkins - Wasty | 2 | |
| 27 Bags Marrows - Rotten | 3 | |
| 10 Casks Pickles - Contained Prohibited Colouring and Preservative | 10 | |
| 150 Cartons Plantains - Decomposing and Mouldy | 2 | 2 |
| 225 Baskets Aubergines - Wasty | 1 | 11 |
| 985 Trays and 346 Baskets Tomatoes - Wasty | 9 | 6 |
| 27 Boxes Cu cumbers - Wasty | 3 | |
| 26 Bags Potatoes - Wasty | 13 | |
| 49 Cartons Avocadoes - Wasty | 5 | |
| 88 Cases, 6 Boxes Fresh Apples and Pears-Wet and wasty or contaminated | 1 | 14 |
| 9 Crates Oranges, 1 Case Tangettes - Oil . Stained and Wasty | 4 | |
| 12 Cases Brazilian Oranges - Dock water damaged | 4 | |
| 35 Cartons and 14 Bags Prunes - Rodent damaged or contaminated | 15 | |
| 6 Cartons Currants - Wet damaged | 1 |