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43
BACTERIOLOGICAL WORK.
The Borough Council have an arrangement with the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine,
Chelsea Gardens, S.W.1, for the bacteriological examination, at the expense of the Council, of
specimens from Kensington cases sent to them through medical practitioners in regard to
diphtheria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, syphilis and other diseases. The examinations in 1920
were as follows:—
Disease
examined for.
No. of
examinations.
No. giving
positive results.
Diphtheria 366 88
Tuberculosis 80 23
Typhoid Fever 6 2
Syphilis 1 1
In addition to these examinations at the Lister Institute, 423 specimens of sputum were
examined at the Tuberculosis Dispensaries.
Facilities for the examination of cerebro-spinal fluid in suspected cases of cerebro-spinal fever,
etc., are available to the Council's Public Health Department through the London County
Council's Laboratory and for the examination of blood in suspected malaria through the Ministry
of Health.
PUBLIC BATHS AND WASH-HOUSES.

It is satisfactory to be able to report that the number of bathers is now approximately double
the number in pre-war years, whilst the figures of washers show an increase of more than 10,000
over those recorded 10 years ago.
MORTUARY AND CHAPEL OF REST.
During the year 239 bodies were deposited in the Public Mortuary under the following
circumstances:—
At the request of the relatives or friends of the deceased 67
At the request of undertakers 18
By order of the Coroner 135
By the Police 19
Total 239
In 111 cases, post-mortem examinations were made under the Coroner's warrant.
Thirty-one bodies were deposited in the Chapel of Rest, Avondale Park.
VENEREAL DISEASE.
During the year representations from the Societies established for the purpose of assisting in
the prevention of venereal disease were considered by the Council and they decided that, whilst it
was obviously the duty of the Council to assist in any scheme tending to promote a higher
standard of morality, they were not prepared to associate themselves with the propaganda of any
particular society formed to deal with the subject.
BUSINESSES OF RAG AND BONE DEALERS.
In October, the Council considered the expediency of the making of by-laws for regulating
the businesses of rag and bone dealers and they resolved to ask the London County Council
to obtain confirmation of by-laws for regulating such businesses and to consider also the wisdom of
declaring the business of a rag and bone dealer to be an " offensive trade."
EXPOSURE OF ARTICLES OF FOOD FOR SALE IN PUBLIC STREETS.
The Council have passed a resolution in favour of legislation conferring on the County Council
power to make regulations or by-laws with regard to the exposure in the streets of articles of food
for sale, such by-laws to provide that they shall be enforced by the Borough Council.
FOULING OF PAVEMENTS BY DOGS.
Considerable attention has been given by the Public Health Committee during the year to the
nuisance and danger to health caused by the excreta of dogs on the footway.
The Council have on more than one occasion in previous years endeavoured, without success
to obtain the sanction of the late Local Government Board and the Home Office to a by-law
dealing with this subject and, therefore, it was decided that a communication should be addressed
to the holders of dog licences in the Borough calling their attention to the nuisance and urging
them, in the interests of public health, to lead their dogs on the leash to the roadway or gutter.