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
Deptford 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Deptford, Metropolitan Borough of]
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| Date. | Nature of Offence. | Fine. | Costs. | Remarks. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London County Council By-laws. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | 1 d. | ||
| Ap. 16 | Alteration to drainage without notice to Sanitary Authority at 16 Tyrwhitt Road | l | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| July 30 | Removal of offensive matter through streets during prohibited hours | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| July 30 | Do. (second offence) | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Do. | Do. (against driver) | l | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Do. | Do ( do. ) | I | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Aug. 6 | Carrying out drainage work without notice to Sanitary Authority at Brockley Wes-leyan Church, Brockley Road | I | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| London County Council (General Powers) Act, Section 28. | ||||||||
| Ap. 29 | Removal of infirm person from 26 Eckington Gardens to hospital | - | - | Order made for removal to St. Alfege's Hospital. | ||||
Miscellaneous Matters.
Smoke Abatement. The problem of nuisance from the emission of
smoke is one constantly before the staff. During the year, 2 Notices
were served with resulting improvement.
The production of smoke is dependent in the main upon the
imperfect combustion of the volatile matters in bituminous coal.
Combustion to be efficient depends upon a sufficiently high temperature
and a sufficiency of air. In the ordinary domestic use of coal, these
conditions cannot be attained and, as a result, smoke is liberated.
The injurious effects of smoke upon the human subject need not be
enlarged upon ; in the case of the vegetable kingdom, experimentally it
can be shown that the rate of growth diminishes as atmospheric
pollution increases, while the damage to buildings owing to the tarry
nature of the deposit and the disintegrating effect of the sulphurous
acids evolved is well known.
It seems curious that, while we have legislated for the purity of
food and water and for healthy housing and workshop standards,