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

Islington 1909

Fifty-fourth annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington

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228
1909]
Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory.
Conditions of Utensils used 52 73
Conditions of Food storage 393 137

Table: 567 sanitary defects were found and 485 remedied, as follows:—

567 sanitary defects were found and 485 remedied, as follows:—

Found.Remedied.
Want of cleanliness187204
„ ventilation149
Overcrowding11
Want of drainage, and (defective) floors5144
Other nuisances222187
Sanitary accommodationinsufficient11
unsuitable or defective5915
. not separate for sexes2014
Offences under the London County Council General Powers Act1210
567485

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The nuisances found on the outworkers' premises are included in the above
schedule, 119 in number, and caused principally by want of cleanliness in
walls and floors.

Table: The fallowing tables show the comparative general conditions relative to the basement, ground floor, and upper storey kitchens, when inspected in the years 1907, 1908, anrl 1909.

The fallowing tables show the comparative general conditions relative to the basement, ground floor, and upper storey kitchens, when inspected in the years 1907, 1908, anrl 1909.

1907—T otal.Satisfactory.Unsatisfactory.
Basement884147 (or about 50 per cent )
Ground floor431288143 ( ,, 30 ,, )
Upper storeys746311 ( ,, 15 „ )
1908—
Basement1348054 ( ,, 40 ,, )
Ground floor43833999 ( ,, 23 ,, )
Upper storeys79736( „ 7 „ )
1909—
Basement1096940 ( ,, 37 ,, )
Ground floor35530055 ( „ 16 ,, )
Upper storeys66651 (,, 2 ,, )

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In this table it is noticeable that, while the ground floor and upper storey kitchens
show constant improvement, the basement kitchens still have a very high percentage of
"unsatisfactory" registrations, remaining about 40 per cent. And there does not appear
to be any possibility of reducing this number while the structural conditions are unaltered.
Nor should the 60 per cent, registered as satisfactory be considered in any way ideal;
but owing to the fact that in some cases through ventilation can be obtained from open
yards at the rear and large areas in front, and that extreme cleanliness is enforced by the