London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Islington 1900
Forty-fifth annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Borough of Islington
This page requires JavaScript
141
[1900
Nothing but praise can be given to the officials who performed this work. It
was done systematically and satisfactorily. Had it been otherwise, the Public
Health Department would have been quickly made aware of any neglect by the
receipt of complaints, or of applications from householders, or of reports from the
Sanitary Inspectors.
The total number of requests to have dust removed and complaints for nonremoval,
numbered all told only 234, which is 28 less than in the preceding year.
They reached 79 in the first quarter, 62 in the second, 50 in the third, and 43 in
the fourth.
At Lady-day the number of separate assessments was 45,571, and the proportionate
number of applications was only a half of 1 per cent., or to be exact
0.513 per cent.
The dusting of Wards 2 and 9 (Upper Holloway and St. Mary's) was specially
good, as from the former only 9 applications were received, and from the latter as
few as 3.
To be able to judge of the improvements effected in the dusting of the Borough, it is necessary to go back ten years.
| 1891 | 10,138 applications | 1896 | 245 applications |
| 1892 | 9,964 „ | 1897 | 312 „ |
| 1893 | 4,986 „ | 1898 | 303 „ |
| 1894 | 4,506 „ | 1899 | 262 „ |
| 1895 | 2,506 „ | 1900 | 234 „ |
The cleansing of the roads has also been generally good, although it is to be
regretted that the sweeping of some of the main thoroughfares, especially when it
becomes necessary to use large quantities of water, should not be completed at an
earlier hour than at present, for it is occasionally difficult to gain access to an
omnibus or a tramcar without wetting one's feet. This is a matter of great
importance to people on their way to business, for they may not only be spattered
with mud, which is a trivial matter, but may also get their feet damp or wet,
which is one of concern, because It' may lead tc illness. Nevertheless, the street
cleansing has been, as already stated, satisfactory, and has been effected in a
capable way. That this is so the fact that few if any complaints were received
during the year is clear proof.
THE WORK OF THE INSPECTORS.
Inspection of Meat.
Inspector Young, who has charge of this important work, has discharged his
duties in a most satisfactory manner. These have been very heavy, for it is not
a small responsibility or an easy task to inspect the animals slaughtered in the
44 slaughter houses situated in various parts of your large Borough, more
especially when slaughtering is for the most part confined to two days in the
week, and is consequently carried on simultaneously in many places.