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

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St Giles (Camden) 1871

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Giles District]

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17
The Disinfecting Chamber. 69. Wc have found this chamber most
useful in disinfecting tho bedding and clothing of persons attacked with
Small pox and other miasmatic diseases. It has been in constant employment
during the year; but the extent of its usefulness can only be
appreciated by a perusal of the following Table, showing the large number
of articles that have been disinfected. It must be gratifying to the
Board to know, that they were the first District Board in the Metropolis
to erect such a useful sanitary appliance.

TABLE No. 14. List of Articles Disinfected in tiie Hot-Air Chamber since its Erection to the end of the Year 1871.

Inspector webb.Inspector DIXON.
Beds187365
Blankets232346
Pillow279461
Quilts155360
Mattresses160178
Carpets13164
Curtains2332
Sheets170451
Bolsters123218
Rugs4653
Sundries304571
18103099
-1810
Total4909

70. In addition to the foregoing, the chamber was used for the disinfection
of 62 sets of bedding, Ac., sent to us by the Strand District
Board, under an arrangement made with your Board for tho purpose.
I am happy to state that, owing to arrangements made with Dr. Conway
Evans, the Medical Officer of Health of the Strand District, we were able
to give the required accommodation to a neighbouring district at a critical
juncture, without unduly impeding our own necessary work.
71. The time required for each disinfection, including the carriage of
articles to and from the chamber, occupies on an average 2½ hours, and
the cost of each disinfection is about live shillings.
The Mortuary. 72. Twenty-six bodies have been removed to the
Mortuary during the year, viz., 24 of persons dead from small pox, 1 from
fever, and 1 in a state of dangerous decomposition.
Hag and Bone Shops. 73. The Inspectors have been diligent in
carrying out the regulations of your Board in respect of these shops, and
they report that the premises have been, generally, kept in good condition
; and that the owners have shown much willingness to comply with
the Board's instructions. Mr. Levy's shop, No. 14, Drury-lane, is always
kept in good order, and is a pattern of cleanliness to the trade.
Cow Sheds. 74. Serious objections have been made during tho year
to the state of Mr. Gibson's cow shed in Drury-lane. On one occasion I
visited it with Dr. Bobarts, and we found that the improvements and
alterations ordered by your Board had not been complied with. The
water supply in particular was out of order, the place was dirty, and there
was one cow more than the number. This cow shed is, by its situation,
in the rear of a dwelling-house, and by being without the possibility of
proper ventilation, quite unfit for its purpose. The other cow-sheds have
been kept as fairly clean as such premises, unsuitable and ruinous as most