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
Lewisham 1857
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham District]
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mittee of the House of Commons, and the opposition of the Board
was thus rendered unnecessary.
The loss from the abstraction of water and some natural causes,
of a number of the trees, which were so great an ornament to the
road sides in Lewisham and Sydenham, will be regretted by many
of the inhabitants; but the felling of some trees similiarly placed
in Penge has been prevented through the intervention of the
Board, made at the instance of several residents of the Hamlet;
Mr. Adams, the owner of the trees, at once acceding to the request
that they should be saved.
A general order has been made by the Board requiring all main
pipes, whether for gas or water, to be laid in the carriage roads,
about two feet from the water table of the roads, instead of in the
foothpaths as has been the practice in this district, and one which
has been attended with much inconvenience to the public.
The Precepts and Rates made upon Lewisham for "General Purposes," which comprise little else than the Highways, arc as follow:—
| Date and Amount of Precepts. | Date and Amount of Bates. | Rateable V alue of Property chargeable. | Amount levied. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1856. March 27. £1,600 | 1856. Apl. 29. 4d. | £116,135 | £ 1,935 | 8. 11 | d. 8 |
| 1856. Sept. 4. £1,600 | 1857. Jan. 6. 4d. | £121,283 | 2,021 | 7 | 8 |
| 1857. Aug. 6. £2,000 | 1857. Sept. 8. 4d. | £132,863 | 2,214 | 7 | 8 |
| 1858. March 18. £2,500 | Kate not yet made. | ||||
WATERING.—Blackheath Roads.
The watering of these roads has been continued in 1857 and
during the present year with but slight alteration in the parts
watered, and, within a trifle, at the same cost; except that, under
the arrangement for apportioning the Establishment expenccs of
the Board (subsequently explained), there will be added to the cost
of the watering a rateable proportion of such cxpences.
It has been suggested that some of the roads upon the Heath
should be watered as well as those immediately adjoining the
houses, in order the more completely to lay the dust, but as so doing
would greatly increase the expence, without affording any adequate
increase of revenue to meet it, the proposal has not been adopted.
Considerable dissatisfaction has been manifested at the amount
of the rate levied for the expences of the watering, and at several
persons having been charged to it who were not benefitted—both
which points demand a few words of explanation. As to the first;
the Board do not (as explained in the previous report, page 26),
levy the rates for the monies expended by them. They simply
issue Precepts to the Overseers for the sums they require, which