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To the Council of the Metropolitan Borough
of Battersea.
Gentlemen,
I have the honor to present my Thirtieth and last Annual
Report upon the Public Health and Sanitary Condition of
Battersea.
During the year under report, several important changes
have taken place ; in May the Registration District of West
Battersea was divided, and there are now three Registration
Districts—East Battersea, North-West Battersea, and South-
West Battersea; and by the Local Government Act, 1899,
Battersea became a Metropolitan Borough, and several changes
were made in the boundaries. In order, however, to render
the statistics of the year of value for comparative and other
purposes, the original Registrar's Districts and Parish
Boundaries have continued to be adopted until the 29th
December, 1900. By the recent changes in Local Government,
duties which were formerly imposed upon the London
County Council have been transferred to the Borough Council,
viz., the registration of Dairies and Milkshops under the
Dairies, Cowshed and Milkshops Order of 1885, and the supervision
of Cowhouses, Slaughter-houses, and Offensive Trades.
The Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1899, also places upon
the local authority the duty of the registration of wholesale
dealers in Margarine and Margarine Cheese.
The remarkable and highly satisfactory feature of the
Public Health during the year has been the enormous
diminution of notifiable infectious disease. In no year since
notification became compulsory has such freedom from diseases
of this class been attained, the reduction being most pronounced
in regard to Diphtheria.