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

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Kensington 1895

The annual report on the health, sanitary condition, &c., &c., of the Parish of St. Mary Abbotts, Kensington for the year 1895

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such cases, by Justice's Order (Public Health (London) Act.
1891, sec. 89), if persons live or sleep in the room where the
body is retained, or if the body is in such a state, from decomposition,
as to endanger the health of the inmates of the same
house or room.
INQUESTS AND CORONER'S COURT.
During the past four years no inquest in this parish
has been held at a public house: with few exceptions inquests
are now held in a room at the Town Hall, placed at the service
of the Coroner by your Vestry, but which is unsuitable for the
purpose of a Court. Parliamentary powers for the purchase of
two houses at the rear of the Hall have been obtained by the
County Council, at the request of your Vestry, and it is
intended to purchase the property from the Council and to
provide thereon a Court for the Coroner, for the use of which
the Council will pay a rent—an arrangement authorised by
section 92 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
DISINFECTION.
The Public Health (London) Act, 1891, imposes additional
duties on the Sanitary Authority in the matter of disinfection,
the practical effect of the legislation of late years
being to throw upon the rates the entire cost of disinfecting
houses, and cleansing and disinfecting bedding, clothing, &c.
The cost of this work has greatly increased since the Act
came into operation at the beginning of 1892: the amount
expended in 1895 having been £950 9s. Id., compared with
£670 15s. lOd. in 1894, £1,159 5s. 9d. in 1893 ; £816 4s. 3d. in
1892 ; and £38 L in 1891, the year before the Act came into
operation. In 1895 about 22,150 articles were disinfected, the
weight of them being 49 tons 17 cwt.; compared with 19,000
articles, weighing 36 tons 13 cwt. in 1894. In 1893,