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 Giles (Camden) 1876
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Giles District]
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The slop and dirt swept up were carted away by contract.
Two street sweeping machines each drawn by one horse, were also
used in sweeping the paved carriage ways, the whole of which were
cleansed daily, with but very few exceptions, arising out of specially
unfavourable weather.
The macadamized roads were not cleansed so frequently; but they
were carefully inspected from day to day, and were in all cases swept
when their condition required it, and on the average were cleansed
three times a week.
The weather during the winter was generally wet, there having been
105 days between the 29tli September, 1876, and 25th March, 1877,
(the six winter months), on which rain fell in large or small quantities,
but there was no heavv snow fall.
The following Table shows the total quantity of street sweepings carted from the District during the last three years:
| Date. | Number of Loads of Slop and Dust Removed. | Number of Loads of Snow Removed. | Total of Slop and Snow Removed. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Year to 25 March 1875 | 8,581 | 8,581 | |
| 1870 | 10,299 | 787 | 11,086 |
| 1877 | 11,266 | 11,266 |
It will be seen by the foregoing table that the quantity of ordinary
sweepings removed during the year 1876-7, was 2,685 loads more than
in 1874-5, and 967 loads more than in 1875-6.
The carting away of snow is paid for by the Board at an agreed
price per load over and above the lump sum which the Board contracts
to pav for the carting away of the ordinary sweepings.
The cost of the street cleansing, for the year ending 25th March, 1877, was as follows:
| £1,585 | 9 | 2 | |
| Amount paid to contractors for removal of slop, &c | 2,181 | 16 | 1 |
| Total cost of street cleansing | £3,767 | 5 | 3 |
Difficulty having been experienced in previous years in getting the
slop removed from the main thoroughfares early in the day, your
Board resolved at the letting of the contract in September, 1876, for
carting away the street sweepings, to stipulate that they should be
removed by certain specified hours in the day, viz., from the main lines
of thoroughfare by 10 a.m., from second-class thoroughfares by 1 p.m.,
and from the remaining public ways in the District by 4 p.m., and
this has, as a rule, been done.
On the 12th September, 1876, your street orderlies made application
to your Board for an increase in their wages. They were then
receiving,—the gangers 18s. per week, and the sweepers 16s. per week,