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

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Battersea 1895

Report upon the public health and sanitary condition of the Parish of St. Mary, Battersea during the year1895

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proposed to partially rebuild and enlarge the Mortuary, so as to
render it, what it was for many years, a model of what such a
building should be. Originally said to be the best arranged
Mortuary in London, other parishes in a commendable spirit of
emulation have improved upon it until we are at the present time
somewhat short of the standard of excellence. The plans of the
Surveyor when carried out will provide a building far in advance
of the majority of Metropolitan Mortuaries.
Customs
and Inland
Revenue
Acts, 1891
This Act, which is simply an extension of the
provisions of the Customs and Inland Revenue Act,
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 £10 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. Many 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. The numbers inspected yearly from 1890 in which
two hundred and forty-three were inspected and after the
execution of necessary works, re-inspected and certified were
for 1891, one hundred and nineteen, for 1892, one hundred and
sixty-five; for 1893, two hundred and one and for 1894 and 1895,
each ninety-one; a total of nine hundred and ten tenements.
Table XIV. sets out the forms of sickness and deaths while
under treatment of the Parish poor under care of the District
Medical Officers during 1895. It will be observed that the total
number of cases treated was four thousand, six hundred and
nineteen, out of which number eighty-nine died, under two per
cent. Of course, many of the more severe cases went to the
Union Infirmary before death. At all events the death-rate is
extremely low.