London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Shoreditch 1896
Annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Parish of St. Leonard, Shoreditch for the year 1896
This page requires JavaScript
29
drying, becoming pulverised and forming part of the dust in the air we breathe, and
thus conveying the disease.
In addition to the deaths from consumption, 78 deaths were due to other forms
of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis may be conveyed to the human being through the medium
of meat and milk from tuberculous cows. It is probable that some of the cases of
abdominal tuberculosis met with in children are due to milk from tuberculous cows.
Boiling for even a moment renders milk as a vehicle of infection harmless, not only
with regard to tuberculosis, but several other disorders also.
DISINFECTION.
The number of premises visited and disinfected by the Vestry's disinfecting
officers during 1896 was 1,116, and the number of articles brought to the Vestry's
disinfecting station and disinfected was 13,229, a number larger than in any year
since 1890. The articles disinfected included 1,117 beds, 2,034 pillows, 818 palliasses,
600 bolsters, and 8,660 miscellaneous articles, including clothing and various
descriptions of textile and leather goods.
In the following table are set forth the five years—1891-95—the numbers of
premises and articles disinfected in each years respectively:—
TABLE XIX.
| 1891. | 1892. | 1893. | 1894. | 1895. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Premises | 816 | 1,027 | 1,863 | 912 | 828 |
| Total number of articles | 9,030 | 10,820 | 11,829 | 11,035 | 11,364 |
| „ „ beds | 833 | 1,157 | 1,313 | 843 | 774 |
| „ „ pillows | 1,602 | 1,801 | 2,186 | 1,522 | 1,459 |
| „ „ palliasses | 568 | 545 | 645 | 647 | 548 |
| „ „ bolsters | 504 | 559 | 767 | 549 | 404 |
| „ „ other articles. | 6,123 | 6,758 | 6,918 | 7,474 | 8,179 |
In addition to those disinfected, it was necessary to destroy 20 beds, 22½
palliasses, 8 pillows, 3 bolsters and 1 sofa squab, which were replaced by the Vestry.
None of the articles passed through the disinfecting apparatus were injured, and no
instances of damage due to the measures taken with regard to the disinfection of any
of the 1,116 premises dealt with came under my notice.
The disinfecting apparatus has been constantly in use since April, 1892, and up
to the present between fifty and sixty thousand articles have been disinfected, and
the results obtained have been satisfactory. The reports of the representative of the
company in which the boiler is insured were satisfactory, but hand-holes were
recommended, in order to allow for the cleaning of the interior of the boiler when
necessary, and eight were provided by order of the Public Health Committee.