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I was unable to obtain a list of the workshops which there are in the district, as it appears to
have been impossible for the existing sanitary staff to devote any special attention in carrying out the
provisions of the Factory and Workshop Act. Dr. Jackson, the medical officer of health, however,
accompanied me to some premises, the addresses of which had been supplied to him as workshops
within the meaning of the Act. These were found to be mostly private houses at which one or more
of the occupiers himself worked but did not employ labour, and a few were large millinery establishments.
As regards these little fault was to be found; in the absence of any definite information as to the
number and character of workshops which there are in the district, it is impossible to form an opinion
as to their needs.
There are three registered common lodging-houses in Fulham; these comply with the requirements
of the Acts and regulations respecting such premises. Two of the houses differ in character from the
ordinary common lodging-houses in that the keepers, who reside on the premises, do not take in casual
lodgers; they receive only men employed at certain nursery gardens in the neighbourhood, who are
recommended by the proprietor. These lodgers are boarded as well as lodged, and often remain for
lengthy periods.
The vestry have provided a mortuary in connection with a coroner's court, for the use of the
parish. The building contains two mortuary chambers and a post-mortem room. I extract from the
annual reports of the medical officer of health of the district the following information relating to the
use of the mortuary during the last two years. During 1893, 130 bodies were brought to the
mortuary, of which twelve were brought at the request of the medical officer of health, six being
cases of infectious disease. During 1894, 123 bodies were removed to the mortuary, five at the request
of the medical officer of health, four being cases of infectious disease.
The removal of house refuse and the scavenging of the streets is carried out by the vestry.
As regards the house refuse, it is the custom to have every house called at once in each week, and in
order that the collection shall be made periodically, the parish has been divided into six sub-districts,
each of which is visited upon a fixed day. The result appears to be generally satisfactory, and during
the course of my inspection I seldom noticed any accumulations of house refuse.
The refuse is taken to the vestry's wharf on the river and there at once loaded into barges
and removed.
The vestry have not made provision for undertaking the disinfection of articles of clothing,
bedding, &c., after the occurrence of infectious disease, but have arranged with a contractor in the
district for this purpose. By the terms of this contract, inquiry is made twice daily at the vestry
hall on behalf of the contractor for the purpose of ascertaining the occurrence of cases of infectious
disease concerning which disinfection is required. The articles are removed from and returned to the
houses in separate vans. The disinfection is effected by steam. The disinfection of rooms is carried
out by an official in the employ of the vestry.
The vestry have not up to the present time provided a shelter for the use of the district, under
section 60 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, which requires that every sanitary authority
shall provide a shelter for the use of persons during the period necessary for the disinfection of their
dwellings.
The water supply for the parish of Fulham is supplied partly by the Chelsea and partly by the
West Middlesex Water Works Companies.
The sanitary staff of the vestry consists at the present time of:—
A medical officer of health.
Four sanitary inspectors.
One assistant for disinfection.
A sanitary clerk.
The medical officer of health is not allowed to engage in private practice. The sanitary staff
is under his control, and he attends at the offices of the vestry daily to supervise the work of the
department.
The inspectors have districts allotted to them, and each performs in his allotted district all
duties arising under the Public Health Acts and the Food and Drugs Act. They attend at the offices
daily in the morning to carry out certain clerical duties, such as preparing the intimation notices, and
also to see builders and others who may seek advice. They also attend in the afternoon if necessary.
The disinfection assistant is employed in carrying out the disinfection of rooms in which cases of
infectious diseases have occurred.
The clerk devotes his time to keeping the register of complaints, the inspection book which
contains a record of the conditions found to exist in all premises visited by the inspectors and of the action
taken in each case, the register of infectious disease occurring in the district, the register of samples
taken under the Food and Drugs Act, and the mortuary and correspondence registers. He also makes
out the statutory notices, and notices which are sent to the School Board, the public library, and the
master of the house, in connection with the occurrence of infectious disease. He also keeps a record
of the returns forwarded by the Metropolitan Asylums Board, of the fees paid to medical practitioners
for notification returns, of houses certified by the sanitary authority as being provided with a proper
and sufficient supply of water, and of certificates granted under the Customs and Inland Revenue
Acts. Another register has recently been commenced, of all the houses in the district, with a view
to a record being kept of all cases of infectious disease, and of deaths from other diseases which occur
in each house in the district.
The sanitary authority for the district is the vestry of the parish of Fulham. There is a
sanitary committee for the special consideration of matters arising in connection with the work of the
public health department, consisting of all the members of the vestry, but no powers under the
Public Health (London) Act, 1891, are delegated to this committee by the vestry.
Under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, the sanitary authorities in the metropolis must
make and enforce by-laws in respect to the following matters:—
(1) The prevention of particular nuisances.