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 1972
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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was maintained on these craft. Repairs, renewal of fittings, cleaning and repainting were carried
out by owners during the early part of the year, and when required at the time of an inspection. In
a few cases an informal notice detailing defects was necessary in order to have remedial work
carried out.
Water sampling was continued throughout the year as follows: —
| Launches 19 | 10 | 19 | 14 |
| Piers, etc. 7 | 29 | 1 | 6 |
| Floating Restaurants 7 | 10 | 11 | 15 |
The rather high number of unsatisfactory results were due to testing craft during their fitting
out. This allowed time for chlorination and satisfactory results before their coming into service.
In 1973, a specially built floating restaurant, the "FATHER THAMES", is due to come into
service, based at Cadogan Pier. Another purpose built launch, the "VALULLA", will join the
"SUERITA" based at West India Dock Pier, and work has started on a second launch to join the
"CHERRY GARDEN" at Cherry Garden Pier. The "HISPANIOLA", one of the first floating
restaurants, is due to be replaced by a larger vessel, the "MAID OF ASHTON". A Thames sailing
barge will possibly take up moorings as a floating restaurant near Greenwich Pier, and various
other craft are proposed or in the planning stage.
FOOD INSPECTION 1972
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 supervision was:
1,061 tons. 11 cwts. 2 qtrs. 5 lbs.
The following is a summary showing methods of disposal.
| Burnt | 115 | 9 | 1 | 18 | 57 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| Buried | 221 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 261 | 12 | 3 | 21 |
| Contractor | 118 | 15 | 2 | 8 | 116 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Other districts | 566 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5,342 | 10 | 0 | 4 |
| Animal Feeding | 5 | 12 | 0 | 22 | 357 | 14 | 3 | 22 |
| Re-exported | 33 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 72 | 9 | 1 | 9 |
| 1,061 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 6,207 | 14 | 0 | 20 | |
The variation in the above weights between this year and 1971 was due to the detention
during 1971 of 4,900 tons of wheat which was found to contain ergot in excess of the norm.
Items marked * were released with the agreement of and under the supervision of local
Medical Officers of Health.
The above 1,061 tons, the principal methods of disposal, with weights, were as follows:
| 811 tins and 1,577 ctns. of Fruit, Meat, Pulps, Vegetables and Juices -burst, blown, leaking and broken. | 30 | 2 |
| 8,903 containers of Fruit and Vegetables — infested, crushed, wasty, mouldy and contaminated............... | 72 | 12 |
| Part of one drum concentrated Grape Juice - leaking and contaminated .. | 4 | |
| 1 bag Apricot Kernels - rodent damaged.......... | 1 | |
| 4 bags Groundnut Kernels - rodent infested ........ | 5 | |
| 36 ctns. Biscuits - wet damaged ............ | 17 | |
| 200 ctns. Sweets — contained non-permitted colouring matter | 3 | 19 |
| 13 ctns. Bone-in Lamb - dock water damaged ........ | 4 | |
| 10 cases Bitter Melon with Pork — No official certificate | 3 | |
| 1 case Preserved Yenin - contained non-permitted colouring matter | 1 | |
| 5 ctns. Preserved Radish and 10 ctns. Oyster Sauce - contained non-permitted preservative | 4 | |
| 40 cases Sauce - contained non-permitted preservative....... | 8 |