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reduced to the advantage of the patients, the parents, the public generally, and the ratepayers,
and " return " cases would be abolished or reduced to a minimum. A week's reduction in the average
stay possesses a very great economic value in tbat it saves the building of a new hospital and its
administration. A new hospital costs at least £250,000, and its maintenance and administration
about £35,000 a year.
The new bye-laws as to houses let in lodgings were finally confirmed by the Local Government
Board on the 21st August, 1903. During the year 296 bouses let in lodgings were added to the
Register, and all the rooms, as far as practicable, were measured and the measurements also entered
in the Register. The rooms of many other houses that were previously registered were also
measured.
On account of the increased powers respecting common lodging houses under the London
County Council (General Powers) Act, 1902, I made a careful inspection and presented a detailed
report of all the 47 common lodging bouses in the Borough. The sanitary condition of these houses
has been much improved during the year, and in the great majority I found that sanitary works were
already in progress at the times of my inspections. I advised the Council to oppose the renewal of
the licenses for six of them, as I was of opinion that they were quite unfit for occupation. In several
others I advised the renewal of the license to be opposed unless the requisite structural alterations
were carried out, and in the remainder I was of opinion that the licenses might be renewed when the
structural alterations were completed and minor sanitary defects were remedied.
During the year there has been increased supervision of the premises in the Borough where
food is sold, or prepared for sale, the number of such inspections having been 2,611 in comparison
with 1,401 during the preceding year.
The 32 underground bakehouses occupied a great deal of the time of the Public Health
Committee, the Town Clerk and the Borough Surveyor, as well as this department; and the structural
and sanitary conditions of all the bakehouses that have received the Council's certificate have been
very much improved.
On account of increased powers respecting the manufacture, sale and storage of ice-cream which
have been conferred by the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1902, many rooms and
bedrooms which, before the Act came into force, were used in connection with this business, are no
longer used, and many rooms or other places have been specially fitted up and prepared for this
business.
Under the new Education Act, this Council from the Ist May, 1904, has increased and great
responsibilities in the care of the many children attending the provided and non-provided schools in
the Borough. The late South African War has brought to light the large amount of physical
deterioration that exists amongst the population of large towns, and it is to be hoped that the
new Education Authorities will take a very broad, enlightened and public-spirited policy to assist in
the prevention of this physical deterioration.
The aim of education ought to be to produce healthy, useful, energetic and intelligent members
of the community. It is therefore necessary that there should be increased medical inspection of
children attending school. Physical deterioration and bad health not only lead to enormous mental
and moral distress to the individuals afflicted and their relatives, but are an enormous cost to the
community and the State, and help to undermine the strength of the Empire. Prevention is not only
very much better, but from a material point of view, is also cheaper than cure even if this is possible,
which generally on account of previous neglect is not the case. It is therefore necessary that increased
attention should be paid to the hygienic details of school life, and that the elementary laws of health
should be inculcated, and female children taught the essentials of domestic economy and infant
rearing. Moreover the teachers themselves must be taught.
The Society of Medical Officers of Health recently passed the follow ing resolutions: —
(a) Domestic hygiene, personal hygiene, and physical training, to be a compulsory part
of the training of all teachers.
(b) The teaching of elementary domestic hygiene, personal hygiene, and physical
training, to be compulsory subjects in all elementary schools.