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
Battersea 1904
Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1904
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80
instances the number of animals varied from 1 to 10, in 53
instances the number varied from 10 to 50, and there were 8
stables in each of which over 50 horses were kept. In 223
instances the stables were in connection with dwellings and
in 63 of these the dwelling was situated above the stable.
There were 9 cases in which a pony or donkey was stabled in
the yard of a dwelling-house, the only outlet from the yard
being through the passage of the house. The arrangements
for the removal of manure from the stables were as follows :—
Frequency of Removal. No. of Stables.
Daily 78
Three times a week 52
Twice a week 148
Weekly 267
Fortnightly 17
Monthly 8
The defects discovered and remedied in the course of this inspection were as follows:—
| Defects. | No. of Stables. |
|---|---|
| Manure receptacle absent or defective | 231 |
| Defective paving of stable or yard | 122 |
| Defective drainage | 38 |
| Defective gutters and roofs | 12 |
| Defective lighting and ventilation | 48 |
| Dirty stables | 41 |
| Other defects | 28 |
The number of horses stabled in Battersea in 1904 was
3,065, and the population of Battersea was 175,465. Assuming
the same proportion of horses to population to obtain in the
whole County of London, it follows that the number of horses
stabled in London was 81,207. According to Veterinary-Captain
Smith's "Manual of Veterinary Hygiene," the average
amount of excreta passed by a horse in twenty-four hours is
about 30 lbs. of solid, and about 5 quarts of liquid matter, and
one-half of the solid and one-fourth of the liquid matter is
deposited in the streets. Assuming, however, that the amount
of excremental matter deposited in the streets is equal to