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The Memorandum of the Medical Officer of the London
County Council, above referred to, deals also with the subject of
accommodation for temporary shelter, as required by Section 60
of the Public Health Act; I may remind your Vestry that an
arrangement was made with the Vestry of Clerkenwell to share
the use of the house provided by them for the purpose, but after
a trial of six months the arrangement was determined in consequence
of the accommodation not being available at night, and
the difficulty in getting people to go so far from those portions
of the Parish where the want of such a place is most often felt.
Besides fulfilling the requirements of the law, there can be no
doubt that the provision of such a place is a real necessity in a
community in which are a number of families occupying single
rooms, for when disease of an infectious character breaks out
among such, the only alternatives the healthy occupants have
while their apartment is being fumigated (an operation taking
six or eight hours to accomplish) is to go amongst their friends,
and incur the risk of carrying infection into other homes, or to
walk the streets until they can have access to their own abodes.
It is therefore satisfactory to learn that your Vestry proposes to
furnish the necessary accommodation amongst its other provisions
on the new premises situated in Wharf Road.
During the past year it has been my duty to make numerous
reports on the various matters which have occupied the attention
of your Public Health Committee, among which I may mention
The London Streets and Buildings Bill.
The Report of the Cholera Superintendent of the Metropolitan
Asylums Board.
The Report of the Ambulance Committee of the Metropolitan
Asylums Board.
Bye-laws for regulating the use of the Mortuary and Post-Mortem
Room.
Bye-laws with respect to houses let in lodgings (the two latter
are now under the consideration of the Local Government
Board).
I have visited a large number of dwelling-houses, factories and
workshops, of which complaints have been received, and in every
instance in which the Vestry's notice has not been complied with.
In those cases in which summonses have been granted, I have
attended the Police Court in support of the same, and with the
hope that the work of the Public Health Department has been
on the whole satisfactory to your Vestry.
I have the honour to be,
Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
G. E. YARROW, M.D., D.P.H., &c.
Vestry Hall, City Road.
March 5 th, 1895.