London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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London County Council 1909

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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In considering the foregoing tabular statement it is necessary to bear in mind that the facts
have not always been uniformly treated in the reports from which the information is derived. As
far as possible differences of treatment have been indicated by footnotes in the table. Subject to this,
the number of workshops on the registers appears to be fairly constant during the last three years.
In the last annual report attention was directed to the fact that the numbeif of inspections
in certain districts fell short of the number of premises on the registers, leading to the inference that
an annual inspection of all premises was not carried out. The figures of 1909 relating to three of
these districts viz., Bermondsey, Lambeth, and St. Marylebone, point to the same conclusion. The
Bermondsey Borough Council has, on the representation of the County Council, been required by
the Local Government Board to increase their staff of sanitary inspectors, and the report of the
medical officer of health of St. Marylebone refers to reorganisation of the staff of sanitary inspectors
in that district. The number of defects found in London showed in 1909 a slight decrease upon the
number found in 1908, having been in 1908, 22,012, and in 1909, 21,522.

Want of cleanliness was met with in 1908 in 7,130 instances, and in 1909 in 7,256 instances; want of ventilation in 1908 in 639, and in 1909 in 727 instances; and overcrowding in 1908 in 237, and in 1909 in 278 instances; want of drainage of floors was found in 1908 in 252, and in 1909 in 254 instances.

1904.1905.1906.1907.1908.1909.
Number of workshops on register34,48835,18736,63237,89137,67337,782
Number of inspections, excluding inspections of outworkers premises84,60086,07179,52681,17184,05884,174
Total number of defects found18,92219,02319,40722,07122,01221,522
Want of cleanliness5,7526,5227,2068,3197,1307,256
Want of ventilation799828736652639727
Overcrowding413347461295237278
Sanitary conveniencesInsufficient403284296256278377
Unsuitable or defective3,6453,4113,7174,2295,2555,377
Not separate for sexes308239251388376292

In connection with the subject of ventilation, Dr. McCleary states that six workshops in
Hampstead were found to be warmed by gas stoves which were unprovided with flues to carry off
the products of combustion, and he points out that "this is a contravention of section 6 of the Factory
Act, in which it is laid down that the measures which in every factory and workshop must be taken for
securing and maintaining a reasonable temperature in each room in which any person is employed
. . . must not interfere with the purity of the air of any room in which any person is employed."
Absence of flues was also found in eighteen instances in Kensington. The use of basement rooms
as workrooms is again discussed by Dr. Parkes in his report relating to Chelsea, and he points out that
their sanitary condition is unsatisfactory in respect of lighting, warming, ventilation, and in some
cases in respect of aerial disconnection from water closets, and he reiterates his opinion that the use
of such rooms should be prohibited unless they complied with certain conditions. In the designing
of new buildings architects would thus be led to comply with these conditions if the basements are
intended to be used as workrooms. Dr. Sandilands also calls attention to the use as workrooms of
the basements of flats, of which he says there has been large increase in Kensington. He states that
they are not designed for use as workrooms, and are in many instances without flues, badly ventilated,
and so dark as to render the use of artificial light necessary throughout the working day.
Places Where Food is Prepared for Sale.
The annual reports give information as to the administration of the powers conferred on sanitary
authorities by the Council's General Powers Act of 1902 (sec. 43) for controlling the conditions under
which ice cream is prepared for sale.
In the following table the numbers of these premises in the several sanitary areas, and other
Darticulars. are shown.

Ice cream premises.

Sanitary area.Number of places.No. of inspections, 1909.No. of notices, 1909.No. of prosecutions, 1909.
On register at end of 1908.Added in 1909.Removed in 1909.jOn register at end of 1909.
City of London2462481
Battersea10856815626071
Bermondsey993413325318
Bethnal Green781998833169
Camberwell2162724219423111
Chelsea38533211
Deptford1281814132197171
Finsbury841315826615
Fulham1517221362158
Greenwich115131011815717
Hackney1511313811411
Hammersmith227322423415
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