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ments, are to be found. The open spaces and recreation grounds which have been laid
out and secured for the use of the inhabitants may also be pointed to as indicating that
the value of such in promoting health were thoroughly appreciated by the Vestry.
The magnificent public baths, possessed by the Borough Council, may be alluded
to as not one of the least amongst the works of the Vestry for promoting the comfort
and convenience of the inhabitants. Shoreditch, moreover, possesses a well equipped
public mortuary and disinfecting station, and a new shelter for the temporary accommodation
of persons having to vacate their dwellings, to allow of effectual
measures being taken as to disinfection, is now approaching completion.
Were space to permit, the excellent work which has been carried out in dealing
with the sanitary conveniences provided at the Public Elementary Schools and the condition
of the bakehouses, cowhouses, slaughterhouses, workshops and work-places
might be dwelt upon at length ; it must, however, be sufficent here to say that a large
amount of work has been done and a great improvement effected in connection with
them.
A few words may be said as to the personnel of the sanitary staff. Forty years
ago the sanitary officers in the permanent service of the Vestry numbered three or
four persons, including a medical officer of health who gave part only of his time
to the duties, and two sanitary inspectors, or inspectors of nuisances as they were
then termed. At the present time the sanitary staff consists of 16 officers in the
permanent service of the Borough Council, including a medical officer of health,
devoting the whole of his time to the duties of his office, six sanitary inspectors, a
public analyst, two clerks and a messenger or general assistant, three disinfecting
officers, a mortuary keeper and a caretaker for the temporary shelter. The sanitary
staff has been considerably strengthened during the past ten years since the Public
Health (Loudon) Act, 1891, came into operation.
This brief retrospect will, I think, be sufficient to indicate to some extent the
great amount of activity which was displayed, during the period the Vestry had the
management of local affairs, in looking after the public health interests of Shoreditch.
From what has been said I think it may be gathered that Shoreditch of the present
day is a greatly improved place from a sanitary point of view as compared with what
it was 45 years ago. The work of improvement has steadily progressed, it has been
especially marked during recent years, and there is no reason to doubt that under the
Borough Council this good work will continue.
In dealing this year with the statistics relating to the health of Shoreditch I have
given tables of births and of some of the commonest causes of death, covering as far
as possible the whole of the period of the administration of the Shoreditch Vestry, so
that the figures of late may be compared with those of earlier years. It is probable
that those of later years, owing to greater facilities for obtaining information, may be
more accurate than those of earlier years, and some allowance should be made for this
in any conclusions which may be drawn from a comparison of them. The figures in