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

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St James's 1896

Report for the year 1896 made to the Vestry of Saint James's, Westminster

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197
Bye-laws for the regulation of drainage and other sanitary
works.
These Bye-laws would affect property of an annual rateable
value of £40,000,000 sterling. At the instance of the Public
Health Committee of St. James's, a detailed report on the proposed
Bye-laws was prepared by the Surveyor, Henry Monson,
Esq., and myself. Our report was printed and copies were
sent to the Local Government Board, to the London County
Council, and to various Metropolitan Local Authorities,
This report has since been practically reproduced in The
Lancet (April 28th, 1897, pages 1164-5) with valuable comments
which, in the main, endorse the conclusions and recommendations
of our report. In that report we ventured to
submit:—
a. That portions of the proposed Bye-laws were prolix
and obscurely worded.
b. That some of the provisions were ambiguous and
intelligible.
c. That some of the requirements were unnecessary and
oppressive.
d. That in some points the requirements were inadequate.
These conclusions were supported by detailed criticism of
the text of the various provisions. Considering the importance
of such a code of Bye-laws as affecting a vast mass of
property, and the necessity of having their text so clearly
worded as to be readily intelligible to practical builders and
householders, it is hoped that our report may have been
useful in securing reconsideration for the points in question,
and that a really efficient and workable code of Bye-laws may
shortly be obtained for London.
The recent epidemic of Small Pox at Gloucester has served
to emphasize what has long been fully appreciated by the
medical profession, i.e., that we must rely upon early and
efficient vaccination for the repression of Small Pox. It has
long been known that survivors from attacks of Small Pox are,

Table showing the Names and Numbers of Zymotic deaths registered in St. James's in each Quarter of the Year 1896 :—

First Quarter.Second Quarter.Third Quarter.Fourth Quarter.Whole Year.
Measles1732...27
Whooping Cough2......13
Enteric Fever.........11
Diarrhoea135...9
Diphtheria...1......1
Membranous Croup1.........1
Scarlet Fever1......1
Erysipelas.........22
Puerperal Fever1- .........1
Influenza...11...2
Rheumatism22...15
Totals25158553