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
City of London 1919
Report of the Medical Officer of Health of the City of London for the year 1919
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DISINFECTION, &c., AT CITY MORTUARY.
207,935 articles of bedding, clothing, furniture, &c., were received at Golden
Lane and disinfected. Of these 203,005 were disinfected at the request of City firms
engaged in exporting second-hand clothing to South Africa, where the authorities
will not allow such articles to enter the country unless accompanied by a certificate
duly signed by a medical officer of health, vouching for the proper disinfection
of each consignment. In all, 566 such certificates were issued during the year.
The remaining 4,930 articles were from premises in the City where infectious
disease had occurred, or had been sent by the Authorities of the Finsbury Square
Military Hospital.
170 bodies were received at the Mortuary pending interment, and 86 postmortem
examinations were made. 150 inquests were held on bodies, and four
inquests on fires.
NUMBER OF ARTICLES DISINFECTED, BODIES RECEIVED AT THE MORTUARY' AND INQUESTS HELD AT THE CORONER'S COURT IN THE CITY DURING 1919, COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS.
| Year. | Articles of Bedding, &c., disinfected. | Bodies received at the Mortuary. | Inquests held on Bodies. | Inquests held on Fires. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 169,452 | 194 | 172 | 5 |
| 1915 | 361,879 | 199 | 176 | 9 |
| 1916 | 438,426 | 169 | 151 | 2 |
| 1917 | 295,144 | 234 | 213 | 1 |
| 1918 | 179,990 | 158 | 130 | 0 |
| Average for previous five years | 288,978 | 191 | 168 | 3 |
| 1919 | 207,935 | 170 | 150 | 4 |
Dr. F. J. Waldo, J.P., Coroner for London and Southwark, has kindly furnished me with the following list of places in the City which were the subject of Fire Inquests held by him during 1919:—
| 1919. Inquest held on | Name of Premises. | Date of Fire. |
|---|---|---|
| 17th March | 71 & 72, Aldersgate Street | 2nd March, 1919. |
| 22nd May | 50, Fenchurch Street | 12th May, 1919. |
| 19th November | 30, Michael's Alley, Cornhill | 11th November, 1919. |
| 16th December | 9, Fore Street Avenue | 6th December, 1919. |
In addition to the above the City Coroner personally inquired into 163 "nonfatal
" City fires reported to him during the year.
DISINFECTION OF CONVEYANCES AFTER CARRYING CASES OF
INFECTIOUS DISEASE.—Two public conveyances, which had been used to
convey patients suffering from infectious diseases to hospital, and one police litter
used by verminous persons, have been disinfected at the City Disinfecting Station,
Golden Lane, E.C.
DISINFECTANTS.—As heretofore, all the disinfectants used in the Public
Health Department were obtained through your Medical Officer of Health.
They are used for the following purposes:—
A. Deodorising and "denaturalizing" condemned meat, disinfecting
public conveniences (urinals, &c.).
B. Disinfecting roadways, street gullies, &c.
C. Disinfecting premises, &c., after infectious disease, drain testing and
sundries.