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
Camberwell 1924
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell.
This page requires JavaScript
51
SECTION 7.
SANITARY ADMINISTRATION.
Sanitary Inspection of District.
A comparison of the statistical table of Sanitary Inspectors'
work, to be found on pages 64 to 67, with that for the previous
year, shows considerable diminution in the number of
house-to-house inspections, viz., 2,066 in 1923 to 1,009 in 1924,
and also a reduction in the number of tenements inspected (324,
compared with 519 in the previous year). Re-inspections decreased
from 42,090 in 1923 to 36,028 in 1924. The total number
of visits for all purposes was 67,965, compared with 79,174 in
the year 1923.
The explanation of the diminished number of inspections
under certain headings is that one district was without an
inspector throughout 1924, owing to the inspector's illness for five
months, culminating in his retirement, and the fact that the
vacancy was not filled by the end of the year. Further, in
another district an inspector contracted diphtheria and was away
ill for several months.
Summary of legal proceedings in connection with the District Inspectors' work for the year 1924: —
| No. of Summonses. | Fines. | Costs. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | ||
| For sanitary defects | 56 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 39 | 17 | 0 |
| For unsound food | 1 | Dismissed | |||||
| For non-compliance with Magistrates Orders | 5* | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
* One summons was "not served" and one was withdrawn.
As usual, in a considerable number of cases the work
required was carried out between the service of the summons and
the date of hearing. In these cases, the costs having been paid
by the defendants, the summonses were withdrawn.
Offensive Trades.
In my last annual report I recorded the existence of 5
offensive trade premises in the Borough, consisting of one place
used for soap boiling and four for the dressing of fur skins. At