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
London County Council 1911
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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60
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1911.
In the following table will be seen the number of houses, the authorised number of lodgers, the
number of convictions, with the penalties inflicted, and other particulars, during each year since the
supervision of seamen's lodging-houses was undertaken by the Council:—
In the following table will be seen the number of houses, the authorised number of lodgers, the number of convictions, with the penalties inflicted, and other particulars, during each year since the supervision of seamen's lodging-houses was undertaken by the Council:—
| Year. | No. of houses on register. | Authorised number of lodgers. | No. of day visits by inspectors. | No. of night visits. | No. of prosecutions. | No. of convictions. | Penalties and costs. | No. of cases of infectious disease. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £. | s. | d. | ||||||||
| 1902 | 97 | 1,665 | 2,842 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1903 | 102 | 1,748 | 1,956 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 7 | |
| 1904 | 90 | 1,585 | 1,298 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 0 | — |
| 1905 | 77 | 1,509 | 1,509 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 9" | 13 | 6 | 1 |
| 1906 | 84 | 1,551 | 1,431 | 38 | 9 | 8 | 43 | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| 1907 | 82 | 1,550 | 2,169 | 70 | 8 | 7 | 38 | 19 | 0 | 5 |
| 1903 | 85 | 1,571 | 2,081 | 78 | 3 | 3 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1909 | 80 | 1,524 | 1,983 | 84 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1910 | 37 | 1,157 | 2,404 | 197 | 15 | 14 | 90 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1911 | 36 | 1,173 | 1,465 | 204 | 7 | 6 | 52 | 13 | 0 | "— |
In the year 1911 proceedings before the magistrate were instituted in seven instances, resulting in
six convictions, the penalties amounting to £46 and £6 13s. costs. Five of the six convictions were in
respect of keeping unlicensed houses, the sixth was for breaches of the by-laws.
Cleansing of Persons Act, 1897, etc.
The Cleansing of Persons Act provides "that any local authority shall have the power when
in their discretion they shall see fit, to permit any person who shall apply to the said authority on the
ground that he is infested with vermin to have the use, free of charge, of the apparatus (if any) which
the authority possesses for cleansing the person and his clothing from vermin."
It is also provided that the use of such apparatus shall not be considered to be parochial relief
or charitable allowance, and local authorities may expend any reasonable sum on buildings, appliances,
etc., required for carrying out the Act. The Act, however, is a permissive one only.
Some information on this subject is given in the annual reports and the following table has been compiled from the material thus made available :—
| Metropolitan borough. | Adults. | Children. | Metropolitan borough. | Adults. | Children. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of London | — | 24 | Poplar | 432 | 24 |
| Battersea | 1,459 | 191 | St. Marylebone | 9,085 | 967 |
| Bermondsey | 73 | 391 | St. Paneras | 1,764 | 2,369c |
| Bethnal Green | 14 | — | Southwark | 137 | 18 |
| Camberwell | 2,338d | Stepney | 2,015 | 96 | |
| Finsbury | 7b | — | Stoke Newington | 254 | |
| Hackney | 177 | 544 | Wandsworth | 5 | — |
| Holborn | 1336 | — | Westminster, City of | 19 | |
| Islington | 23 | — | Woolwich | 123 | 386 |
| Kensington | 346 | — |
Cleansing of
Person? Act,
1897.
Some information on this subject is given in the annual reports and the
following table has been compiled from the material thus made available :—
Metropolitan borough.
Adults.
Children.
Metropolitan borough.
Adults.
Children.
City of London
—
24
Poplar
432
24
Battersea
1,459
191
St. Marylebone
9,085
967
Bermondsey
73
391
St. Paneras
1,764
2,369c
Bethnal Green
14
—
Southwark
137
18
Camberwell
2,338d
Stepney
2,015
96
Finsbury
7b
—
Stoke Newington
2
254
Hackney
177
544
Wandsworth
5
—
Holborn
1336
—
Westminster, City of
19
Islington
23
—
Woolwich
123
386
Kensington
346
—
Number of
persons
cleansed
during the
year 1911,
In dealing with verminous persons and more particularly with children, it was recognised
that the cleansing of the individual could be of little service unless accompanied by the cleansing of
his home (furniture and clothing), and the County Council in its General Powers Bill of 1904 included
clauses to effect this end. These clauses became law and the powers thus obtained have been largely
used by local authorities, as many as 10,000 rooms being cleansed in 1910 and a somewhat larger
number in 1911. Most of the reports contain reference to the action taken under section 20 of the
General
Powers Act,
1904 sects.
19,20, 21, 24.
(b) Dealt with by the Board of Guardians at the expense of the Borough Council.
(c) In addition to the number of children disinfected shown in the table, 397 children, bed-fellows of such
children, were also cleansed.
(d) Adults and children.