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

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Stepney 1956

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]

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Burials. Section 50 of the National Assistance Act, 1948, places
a duty on the Council to arrange for the burial of any persons found dead
within the Borough, where no private arrangements have been made.
Twenty-four such burials (18 adults, 1 child under 10 years, 2 under
one month and 3 stillborn babies) took place during the year at a cost of
£218, of which sum £110 had been recovered by the end of the year from
the estates of the deceased persons, from liable relatives or by way of
grants made under the National Insurance net, 1946.

Requests for burials came from the following sources:-

H.M. Coroner's Officer15
Relatives of the deceased9

Human Remains. During the year the remains of persons buried between
1670 and 1849 were discovered beneath the site of Holy Trinity Church,
Minories. This church was destroyed by enemy action in 1940. The Secretary
of State consented to the sale of the site by the Church Commissioners
subject to the proper removal and re-interment of the human remains.
Some 25 lead coffins were unearthed, together with a large quantity of
uncoffined remains, and temporarily stored in the Council's Mortuary. The
coffins contained the bodies of members of the Earl of Dartmouth's family
buried during the period mentioned above, and were subsequently removed
to a crematorium by the agent of the Church Commissioners under the
supervision of a Public Health Inspector.
Four bodies recovered from the river were received in the Mortuary
during the year.
FREE WASHING FACILITIES.
The Council provides free washing facilities in 16 of the 22 public
conveniences, with the aim of promoting food hygiene and cleanliness.
Some 67,000 free washes were taken during the year.
HEALTH EDUCATION.
The annual Diphtheria Immunisation Campaign was held in the Borough
during December. The Council also co-operated in a Home Accidents Vveek
in November and the Road Safety Campaign in August.
Posters on the large poster frames situated in the two main roads in
the Borough were changed each month, and seven types of poster were displayed
on the Council's official notice boards during the year. Posters
relating to the Clean Food Byelaws, Merchandise Marks Act, marking of
imported food, fish wrapping and poultry plucking, were exhibited on
lamp-post frames in street markets in the Borough.
Posters on various health matters were exhibited at hospitals,
welfare centres, day nurseries, public libraries and social clubs, on
the Council's vehicles and in public conveniences, and leaflets were
made available at many of these establishments.
16