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

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Battersea 1894

Report upon the public health and sanitary condition of the Parish of St. Mary, Battersea during the year1894

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71
that infectious refuse shall not be treated so as to be dangerous
to the public health, and prescribes penalties on persons letting
houses or apartments in which infectious disease has occurred
without having the same properly disinfected and obtaining a
certificate thereof, which certificate is given to applicants free
of charge on application to the Sanitary Department. Other
important provisions for the prevention of the spread of infectious
disease follow in subsequent sections; but they have long been
in operation in this parish.
Provision is made for Mortuaries and post-mortem examinations,
such has existed in Battersea for many years. In fact,
it may be said generally that the methods of Sanitary procedure
which may have gradually evolved in this parish during the
last twenty years, have been adopted by the framers of the Act
as its basis.
Customs This Act, which is simply an extension of the
and Inland
Revenue provisions of the Customs and Inland Revenue Act,
Acts, 1891. 1890, exempting houses structurally fitted in the
opinion of the Medical Officer of Health for occupation as
separate tenements at an annual rental not exceeding £20 from
the liability to house duty. The 1891 Act raises the amount to
£40 annual rental. These Acts have added much to the duties
of the Medical Officer, as personal inspection is imperative and
certain forms of certificate have to be sent by him to the
Surveyor of Taxes. Some hundreds of tenements have been
inspected and certified since the Act came into force in
January, 1891, and many flats are now being built and converted
in the parish in order to obtain exemption or abatement of the
house duty.
Table XIV is a Return of sickness and causes of death
among the Parish poor during the year 1894 under the treatment
of the District Medical Officers, compiled from the Medical
Relief books.