Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Report on the sanitary condition of the Borough of Bermondsey for the year 1902
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Ventilation is one of the most difficult subjects to deal with, and one which requires
constant supervision, since means of ventilation should be provided that cannot be interfered
with by the workpeople themselves, and will, at the same time, maintain a regular
temperature. The most common means of ventilation found are, of course, windows and fireplaces
but the former are generally closed so that they are practically useless as a means for a
constant supply of fresh air. They are seldom opened except when the Inspector calls. In many
cases the hands complain of draughts, and the ventilation is therefore largely dependent on the
state of the weather. Where possible Tobins' Tubes or some such method has been recommended.
It is difficult, however, to enforce the adoption of these in some of the small workshops in
private houses.
It will be seen from Secs. 107 to 115 that important powers are given as regards home
work. These powers aim at the prevention of home work being done in unsuitable rooms, or in
any place where infectious disease has occurred. Occupiers of any factory or workshop or any
place where work is given out, and the contractors employed by such occupiers are required to
keep lists, showing the names and addresses of all persons employed by them as out-workers,
and to submit these lists to the Council twice a year. On the examination of these lists, if it is
found that the out-workers live in any other district, the names and addresses are immediately
forwarded to the Sanitary authority of that district, and we receive similar lists from other
Boroughs. In this way we have been notified of 198 workplaces where work is received from
without the district. We have also obtained particulars of 54 workplaces which receive work
from firms within the district, making a total of 252 places where out-work is done.
These have been inspected in the general inspections, and in no case has any infectious
disease been found in these. The notices served on these workplaces for home work are included
in the general list of nuisances remedied.
These powers do not apply to all classes of home work, but to those set out on page 19.
The following is a list of workshops and workplaces at present on the register: —
PEOPLE EMPLOYED.
No.
Men.
Women.
Boys.
Girls.
TRADE.
Army Accoutrement
and Bedding Makers
10
1
12
—
—
Bottlers
3
12
3
2
—
Blouse Makers
11
—
44
—
—
Box Makers
4
14
3
—
—
Buttonhole Makers
6
—
6
—
—
Basket Makers
9
4
9
-
-
Brush Makers
35
58
32
—
—
Blacksmiths
8
31
—
—
—
Bootmakers
30
125
4
—
—
Builders
19
97
—
1
—
Cork Merchants and
Cork Cutters
7
22
37
—
—
Cabinet Makers
3
11
4
—
—
Coopers
12
77
—
—
—
Carmen, Stables
70
548
—
1
—
Confectioners
11
99
201
—
—
Collar Makers
8
1
6
—
5
Curriers
5
50
-
-
-
Chemists and Druggists
3
36
17
—
—
Carpenters
14
21
—
—
—
Coffee Houses and
Dining Rooms
3
8
10
—
—
Dressmakers
62
1
110
-
-
Drapers
5
15
50
—
—
Engineers
13
47
—
-
-
Farriers
6
30
—
—
—
Fur Pullers
7
10
22
—
—
Fish Curers
7
47
—
—
—
Flour and Grain Stores
12
109
—
—
—
Harness Makers
6
22
—
—
—
Hop Factors
13
74
—
—
—
Helmet Makers
3
118
70
18
15
Leather Merchants
and Workers
53
320
34
1
—
TRADE.
PEOPLE EMPLOYED.
No.
Men.
Women.
Boys.
Girls
Leather Dressers
29
257
6
2
—
Laundries
46
4
161
1
—
Mantle Makers
12
3
61
—
—
Milliners
5
—
27
—
—
Offices, Wharves, and
Warehouses
25
529
17
—
—
Pork Butchers
3
9
—
—
—
Paper Bag Makers
19
3
23
—
—
Picklers
5
6
16
2
—
Provision Merchants
16
184
70
-
—
Potato Warehouses
3
29
1
—
—
Picture Frame Makers
4
26
10
—
—
Rag Merchants
8
76
243
8
—
Rope Makers
5
68
3
4
—
Saddlers
3
6
—
—
—
Staywork
5
—
5
—
—
Shirtwork
24
73
561
—
—
Sack Makers
16
13
38
—
—
Smith's Shops
5
9
—
—
—
Slate Merchants
3
30
-
-
—
Tie Makers
10
—
14
—
—
Tailors
9
13
27
-
-
Timber Merchants
5
17
—
2
—
Tarpaulin Makers
5
28
20
—
—
Wine Merchants
8
47
2
-
-
Wheelwrights
18
92
-
1
-
Whipmakers
5
43
4
-
-
Woodchoppers and
Firewood Merchants
19
25
57
—
—
Wool Clippers
7
3
7
—
—
Undertakers
5
15
—
—
—
Various
181
1003
266
23
17
Totals
966
4619
2313
64
37
Food and Drugs.
In Tables VIII. and IX. of Appendix will be found particulars of the action taken under
the Food and Drugs Acts. While it is most important so see that the articles of diet in
commonest use are wholesome and unadulterated, it is also important to see that the drugs used
are good. Owing to the large quantities of many of the drugs required for analytical purposes it
is in practice found difficult to administer this part of the Act, and the purchases have been
confined to a few of the commonest drugs. For a proper quantitative analysis of paregoric
about 6 ozs. would be required, and for a qualitative examination 2 ozs. This means the
purchase of three times this amount, which would at once excite suspicion, and would naturally
prevent a fraud being perpetrated on the Inspectors. This applies to most drugs.
25
The following is a list of workshops and workplaces at present on the register:—
TRADE. | PEOPLE EMPLOYED. | TRADE. | PEOPLE EMPLOYED. | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Men. | Women. | Boys. | Girls. | No. | Men. | Women. | Boys. | Girls | ||
Army Accoutrement and Bedding Makers | 10 | 1 | 12 | — | — | Leather Dressers | 29 | 257 | 6 | 2 | — |
Laundries | 46 | 4 | 161 | 1 | — | ||||||
Bottlers | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | — | Mantle Makers | 12 | 3 | 61 | — | — |
Blouse Makers | 11 | — | 44 | — | — | Milliners | 5 | — | 27 | — | — |
Buttonhole Makers | 6 | — | 6 | — | — | Offices, Wharves, and Warehouses | 25 | 529 | 17 | — | — |
Box Makers | 4 | 14 | 3 | — | — | ||||||
Basket Makers | 9 | 4 | 9 | – | – | Pork Butchers | 3 | 9 | — | — | — |
Brush Makers | 35 | 58 | 32 | — | — | Paper Bag Makers | 19 | 3 | 23 | — | — |
Blacksmiths | 8 | 31 | — | — | — | Picklers | 5 | 6 | 16 | 2 | — |
Bootmakers | 30 | 125 | 4 | — | — | Provision Merchants | 16 | 184 | 70 | – | — |
Builders | 19 | 97 | — | 1 | — | Potato Warehouses | 3 | 29 | 1 | — | — |
Cork Merchants and Cork Cutters | 7 | 22 | 37 | — | — | Rag Merchants | 8 | 76 | 243 | 8 | — |
Picture Frame Makers | 4 | 26 | 10 | — | — | ||||||
Cabinet Makers | 3 | 11 | 4 | — | — | Rope Makers | 5 | 68 | 3 | 4 | — |
Coopers | 12 | 77 | — | — | — | Saddlers | 3 | 6 | — | — | — |
Carmen, Stables | 70 | 548 | — | 1 | — | Staywork | 5 | — | 5 | — | — |
Confectioners | 11 | 99 | 201 | — | — | Shirtwork | 24 | 73 | 561 | — | — |
Collar Makers | 8 | 1 | 6 | — | 5 | Sack Makers | 16 | 13 | 38 | — | — |
Curriers | 5 | 50 | – | – | – | Smith's Shops | 5 | 9 | — | — | — |
Chemists and Druggists | 3 | 36 | 17 | — | — | Slate Merchants | 3 | 30 | – | – | — |
Carpenters | 14 | 21 | — | — | — | Tie Makers | 10 | — | 14 | — | — |
Coffee Houses and Dining Rooms | 3 | 8 | 10 | — | — | Tailors | 9 | 13 | 27 | – | – |
Timber Merchants | 5 | 17 | — | 2 | — | ||||||
Dressmakers | 62 | 1 | 110 | – | – | Tarpaulin Makers | 5 | 28 | 20 | — | — |
Drapers | 5 | 15 | 50 | — | — | Wine Merchants | 8 | 47 | 2 | – | – |
Engineers | 13 | 47 | — | – | – | Wheelwrights | 18 | 92 | – | 1 | – |
Farriers | 6 | 30 | — | — | — | Whipmakers | 5 | 43 | 4 | – | – |
Fur Pullers | 7 | 10 | 22 | — | — | Woodchoppers and Firewood Merchants | 19 | 25 | 57 | — | — |
Fish Curers | 7 | 47 | — | — | — | ||||||
Flour and Grain Stores | 12 | 109 | — | — | — | Wool Clippers | 7 | 3 | 7 | — | — |
Harness Makers | 6 | 22 | — | — | — | Undertakers | 5 | 15 | — | — | — |
Hop Factors | 13 | 74 | — | — | — | Various | 181 | 1003 | 266 | 23 | 17 |
Helmet Makers | 3 | 118 | 70 | 18 | 15 | ||||||
Leather Merchants and Workers | 53 | 320 | 34 | 1 | — | Totals | 966 | 4619 | 2313 | 64 | 37 |