London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Bermondsey 1905
Report on the sanitary condition of the Borough of Bermondsey for the year 1905
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Disinfection.
Early in the year, the old Neckinger Disinfector, the makers of which were Messrs.
Ooddard, Massey & Warner, was condemned by the Boiler Insurance Co. It had been in use
some 15 or 16 years and required such extensive repairs that the Committee decided to do away
with it. Accordingly a more modern machine which was situated at Bull Head Dock was
brought up to the Neckinger Depot, and reinstated on the piece of land between the Baths and
Wash-houses and the Dust Destructor. This situation was considered more convenient because
there was an existing shed attached which could be adopted for the Cleansing of Persons Act
should the Council decide to adopt it, and it was in a convenient position for receiving steam
from the Dust Destructor. These advantages have so far proved true.
The following table shows the number of articles passed through the steam disinfector during the year :—
| Beds | 1158 |
| Blankets | 1173 |
| Bolsters | 604 |
| Carpets | 277 |
| Cushions | 315 |
| Mattresses | 954 |
| Palliasses | 136 |
| Pillows | 1966 |
| Quilts | 1119 |
| Shirts | 1239 |
| Wearing Apparel, etc. | 6431 |
| Total | 15372 |
The food coming into or manufactured in the Borough has been systematically inspected
during the year, after the manner detailed in the Annual Report for 1904. The following table
gives the number of inspections, and an approximate idea of the amount of food examined
during the year : —
Food Examined during the Year 1906.
| Inspectors. | Meat. | Fish. | Fruit. | Vegetables. | Tinned Goods. | Dairy Produce. | Cereals. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspections. | Tons. | inspections. | Tons. | Inspections. | Tons. | Inspections. | Tons. | Inspections. | Tons. | Inspections. | Tons. | Inspections. | Tons. | |
| Mr. Thomas | 1826 | 1195¾ | 590 | 258¾ | 944 | 1599½ | 80 | 303½ | 92 | 143¾ | 8 | 24¾ | – | – |
| „ Ashdown | 254 | 713 | 66 | 64¾ | 658 | 3255½ | 816 | 8480¼ | 139 | 213¾ | 1580 | 7289 | – | – |
| „ Cockburn | 81 | 221¼ | 56 | 94 | 55 | 92¼ | 53 | 232¼ | – | – | 1 | 2½ | – | – |
| „ Bartlett | 124 | 63 | 42 | 3¾ | 3 | 1½ | 39 | 11¾ | – | – | 2 | 1¾ | 2 | – |
| „ Toogood | 232 | 212½ | 317 | 147½ | 106 | 1443¼ | 34 | 523 | 21 | 72½ | – | – | 2 | 40 |
| „ Scott | 331 | 125¾ | 167 | 1064¾ | 38 | 37½ | 1 | ½ | 16 | 33½ | 26 | 59 | – | – |
| Hoskins | 79 | 124¾ | 59 | 22¼ | 85 | 138¼ | 44 | 37¾ | 6 | 4 | – | – | – | – |
| „ Harris | 98 | 70¼ | 78 | 8¾ | 5 | 2½ | – | – | 1 | ¼ | – | – | 15 | 59 |
| „ Jones | 134 | 180¾ | 61 | 24¾ | 149 | 245¾ | 98 | 87½ | 16 | 16¼ | 13 | 20 | 1 | 1 |
| 3159 | 2907 | 1436 | 731¼ | 2043 | 6816 | 1165 | 9676½ | 291 | 484 | 1630 | 7397 | 18 | 110 | |
Note.—2'he inspections refer to the number of separate lots, and the weights are only approximate.
The total number of inspections of wharves, factories and shops where food stuffs are
stored or made was 2,289 during the year 1905.
Register of Places where Food is Prepared for Sale.
The following table gives the number and kind of the various places where food is prepared (exclusive of the warehouses and wharves on the riverside) at present on our register. A special register was started towards the end of 1903 for such places, and a considerable number were added during 1904 and 1905:—
| Batchers | 21 |
| Confectioners (wholesale) | 3 |
| Coffee and eating houses | 117 |
| Eel pie shops | 7 |
| Fried fish shops | 29 |
| Fish shops | 16 |
| Fish curers | 7 |
| Ham and beef shops | 3 |
| Oyster rooms | 2 |
| Pork butchers | 4 |
| Picklers | 2 |
| Restaurants | 10 |
| Tinned provision merchants | 4 |
| Tea rooms | 2 |
| Various | 9 |
| Total | 236 |
Unsound Food Seizures
The following are particulars of unsound food seized during 1905: —
January 18th 72 tons of coffee berries Magistrate refused to grant order for
destruction.
19th 18 „ „ „
~ 20ih 29 ~ „ Destroyed on magistrates' order.
March 24th 14 lbs. herrings Pined 10s. and ss. costs.
July 10th B*l4 half sieves of black currants Order for destruction. Costs paid bv
consignees.
August 14th 101 boxes of greengages ~