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
St Pancras 1917
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras]
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52
The school children included in the above table have in the main been brought
to the cleansing station from the Public Elementary Schools by officials of the
London County Council as the Education Authority under the powers conferred
upon them by their General Powers Act, 1901, Sec. 36, and the
Children Act, 1908, Sec. 122. A sum of one shilling per bath is paid by
the County Council to the Borough Council, according to an agreement
between the two Authorities, and 1628 baths were paid for on this scale during
the year.
17 verminous persons from common lodging houses outside the borough
were paid for by the London County Council at the rate of 1s. per attendance,
and also 3 persons from Finsbury paid for by the Finsbury Borough
Council at the same rate.
PUBLIC MORTUARIES AND CORONER'S COURT.
| Number of bodies deposited in the General Mortuary during 1917 | 419 |
| „ „ Infectious „ „ | 4 |
| Total | 423 |
| Inquests held during 1917— | |
| In the Coroner's Court —General Cases | 400 |
| ,, „ Poor Law „ | 30 |
| Elsewhere in St. Pancras | — |
| Total | 430 |
BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS.
The following work has been done by the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, Chelsea Gardens, S.W.. at the expense of the borough in respect of St. Pancras persons:—
| Total. | Positive. | Negative. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examinations of swabs for B. diphtheriae | 178 | 60 | 118 |
| ,, sputum for B. tuberculosis | 213 | 56 | 187 |
| „ blood for Widal reaction (typhoid) | 11 | 8 | 3 |
THE STAFF.
At the beginning of 1917 the working staff of the department was
depleted by 5 male sanitary inspectors and 3 clerks serving with H..M. Forces,
and by one other vacancy amongst the sanitary inspectors caused by death in
1914 not having been filled.
The department suffered a great loss by the death on 11th April, 1917, of
Mr. H. Riches, First Clerk. Mr. Riches had been in the Council's service for
26 years, and his loss was greatly mourned by his colleagues.