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Smoke Nuisances.
271 Chimneys were kept under observation and 55 notices served.
House Refuse.
The following table shows the amount of house and trade refuse disposed of during the
year ended December, 1907:-
HOUSE REFUSE.
TRADE REFUSE.
Tons.
cwt.
qrs.
lbs.
Tons.
lbs.
cwt.
11
2
14
qrs.
Bermondsey Destructor 10,397 loads
19,410
13
3
0
0
575½ loads
652
1
7
Barged away 226 „
413
0
14
325 „
594
3
7
16
0
14
900½ „
1246
0
14
Total 10,623 „
19,823
Neckinger Mortuary.
The following report was made to the Public Health Committee on 8th October with
regard to re-draining the Neckinger Mortuary, and also as to closing this mortuary and
centralising the work at the St. Marychurch Street Mortuary, and building a new Coroner's
court and offices : —
The discovery of the necessity of reconstructing part of the drainage of the
Neckinger Mortuary raises the question of the advisability of doing away with this building
altogether, and, should the Council decide to do this, as to whether there is sufficient
accommodation at the Mortuary in Rotherhithe. As mentioned in a previous report, the
Neckinger Mortuary was built in 1891, by Mr. H. Russell, under the superintendence of
the late Surveyor, Mr. Elkington, at a cost of £438, at which time Dr. Dixon was Medical
Officer of Health, and Mr. Thomas Chief Inspector. It is a small mortuary situated in an
unsuitable position and has very bad approaches. I am informed that the undertakers
have to drive through the depot to get to it and have great difficulty in turning since the
small space in front, which might be available for this purpose, is largely occupied for the
storage of material, carts, etc., for want of room elsewhere.
The total number of bodies received into this mortuary in 1906 was 156, which may
be considered an average number, and the number of post-mortem examinations 71.
There is not sufficient work here to occupy the whole time of the keeper, who fills in his
time attending to the disinfecting apparatus. The Rotherhithe Mortuary, which is
situated in St. Mary's Churchyard, was built in November, 1895, at a cost of £1,000. It
is much larger, and can give accommodation for a great many more bodies than it is now
used for. 1 here are rarely more than four or five bodies in it at a time and the noninfectious
room is capable of comfortably accommodating 25 and 30 bodies at one time and
in case of emergency many more, against 12 and 15 in the corresponding room of the
Neckinger Mortuary. It is up to date, the situation, light and ventilation being excellent,
and the drainage quite modern and in good condition. The number of bodies received into
this mortuary last year was 97.
Inquiries have been made from Southwark as to the number of bodies belonging to
Bermondsey which were deposited in the Mortuary at Collier's Rents during 1906, and I
find this was 55, on which 27 post-mortem examinations were made. They mostly came
from either Parish Street Workhouse or the river. I understand there is a possibility of the
district of St. Olave, which is at present under the jurisdiction of the City of London and
Southwark Coroner, Dr. Waldo, being incorporated in the Bermondsey District under
Dr. Oswald. If such should take place, in addition to the 253 bodies received in the two
mortuaries, accommodation might have to be made for 55. The maximum accommodation
would thus have to be for about 320. This number is not likely to materially increase
since the population of the Borough is not increasing.
In my opinion the Rotherhithe Mortuary is large enough to accommodate all these
bodies with ease, and this would give sufficient occupation for nearly the whole time of one
Mortuary Keeper. There would thus be no necessity for having a mortuary at the
Neckinger Depot, the space for which could be otherwise utilised.
Should the Committee think of adopting this suggestion of only having one
mortuary the proper course would be to consider the advisability of building a suitable
Coroner's Court attached to the Mortuary at Rotherhithe, the present Court in
Bermondsey being only a makeshift, about which I am constantly hearing complaints of
want of accommodation and bad ventilation. The Rotherhithe Court is a considerable
distance from the Mortuary and necessitates much waste of time on the part of the jury
going to view the bodies.
There is plenty of room in the neighbourhood of the Rotherhithe Mortuary for the
erection of a suitable court and waiting room. I have 110 doubt that the General Purposes
Committee would be willing to make some allowance for the site of the Mortuary,
Neckinger, and this would go towards the expenses of the Coroner's Court.
The concentration here suggested would lead to economy and efficiency in
administration.
Enclosed with this report is a table giving information regarding the mortuary
arrangements in other boroughs. From this it will be seen that nineteen boroughs have
only one mortuary and five have two. In most of the cases in which the boroughs have
more than one mortuary it is due to the amalgamation of smaller districts.
The Borough Surveyor reported as follows:—