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252
1907]
INSPECTOR WILKINSON'S REPORT.
Public Health Department.
Town Hall,
Upper Street, N,
May 7th, 1908.
To the Medical Officer of Health.
Dear Sir,
I have pleasure in submitting the following report on the Inspection of Slaughterhouses,
Butchers' Meat, Fish, Fruit, and various foodstuffs exposed for sale or deposited
for the purpose of sale, or of preparation for sale, within the Borough, and the inspection
of Cowsheds and Offensive Trade Establishments, for the year ending December 28th, 1907.
Slaughterhouses.—There were 39 of these on the register at the commencement of
the year, one of which, situate at the rear of 12 Cloudesley Road, was demolished at the
termination of the lease, whilst a second, situate at 309 Caledonian Road, did not obtain
the renewal of the licence at the Annual Licensing Sessions of the London County Council,
owing to its not having been used for that purpose for a period of over nine months.
There are thus 37 still remaining on the register. In all, 2,531 visits have been
paid to them during the year.
No complaint has been received regarding the conduct or sanitary condition of any
slaughterhouse, and, with the exception of some three instances, where verbal attention
was called to neglect of the limewhiting regulations by your Inspector, resulting in due
attention being given thereto, they have been exceptionally well conducted, and it is no
exaggeration to say that the private slaughterhouses in Islington—although spread over a
large area, which renders constant supervision difficult—are a credit to the licencees,
and leave little to be desired from a sanitary standpoint, for they are in fact far more
cleanly than many of the homes of the people.
It is therefore in some respects a matter for regret that the number of animals
slaughtered therein is on the decrease, owing to various causes, the principal of which is
that American and Dutch meat enters more and more into competition with our own
products, the former consisting of beef which has been slaughtered at the port of
debarkation, or brought over in quarters in cool chambers in a chilled state, whilst the
latter, consisting of some beef, but principally mutton, pork and veal, is brought over from
Holland and Denmark to our dead meat market in fresh condition. Moreover, considerable
quantities of home-killed meat from our own country districts also enter into competition
in the same market, and these can be purchased at a price usually somewhat lower
than that of animals purchased alive and killed in their own slaughterhouses. Notwithstanding
that much of this dead meat is of good quality and gives satisfaction generally
to the consumer, it is of necessity repeatedly handled and trucked about—often with far
too little regard to the fact that it is ultimately intended for human consumption—therefore,
when it is deposited in the retail shop, it has not that bright, clean, and wholesome
appearance that is notable in carcases that have been removed direct from the slaughterhouse
to the retail shop. Moreover, as a consequence, the latter will keep fresh, bright, and of
sound condition for three days to a week longer than the former. It is not surprising
then to find that it is not uncommon for butchers to purchase, say, a half-score of sheep,