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66
DRAINAGE WORK.
Drainage work in connection with new buildings is carried out under the supervision of the
Borough Engineer, who also supervises the construction of drains on existing premises where the
work is undertaken by the owner on his own initiative. The reconstruction of drains found to be
defective by the Sanitary Inspectors is carried out under their supervision, plans of any proposed
alteration being submitted in the first instance to the Borough Engineer and then handed on to
the Public Health Department. During the year 43 house drains have been reconstructed under
notices served by the Sanitary Inspectors.
PUBLIC CONVENIENCES.
The Council provide six public lavatories containing water-closets; two are for men only,
and in four accommodation is provided for both sexes. In addition there are 12 urinals for men
under the charge of the Council. In the women's lavatories there is free accommodation for
those who are unable to pay. There are also conveniences for men and women at eleven railway
stations in the Borough. The public-house urinals entered from the street and available to the
public number 75. The public conveniences in the Borough have been regularly inspected during
the year, those for women in stations and elsewhere having been kept under observation by the
Women Health Officers.
BACTERIOLOGICAL WORK.
The Council have an arrangement with the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine,
Chelsea Gardens, S.W.I, for the bacteriological examination, at the expense of the Council, of
specimens from Kensington cases sent to them by medical practitioners in regard to
diphtheria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, syphilis and other diseases. The examinations in 1924
were as follow :—
Disease
suspected.
No. of
examinations.
No. of
positive results.
Diphtheria ... 698 70
Tuberculosis - - - 208 33
Typhoid Fever 16 3
Gonorrhoea 4 —
Dysentery 1 —
In addition to these examinations at the Lister Institute, 591 specimens of sputum were
examined at the Tuberculosis Dispensary.
Facilities for the examination of cerebro-spinal fluid in suspected cases of cerebro-spinal fever,
etc., are available to the Council's Public Health Department through the London County
Council's Laboratory and for the examination of suspected foodstuffs and of blood in suspected
malaria cases through the Ministry of Health.
PUBLIC BATHS AND WASH-HOUSES.
There are at the Public Baths, a Men's First Class Swimming Bath with a capacity of 120,000
gallons, a Women's First Class Swimming Bath with a capacity of 45,000 gallons, and a Second
Class Men's Bath and Second Class Women's Bath each of which holds 45,000 gallons.
The charge for admission to the First Class Baths is 8d.; 3d. is charged fcr admission to
the Second Class Baths, children being admitted at half price.
There are 13 Men's and 7 Women's First Class Slipper Baths and 34 Men's and 20 Women's
Second Class Slipper Baths. The charge for a First Class Warm Slipper Bath is 8d., and for a
Second Class, 3d., whilst the charges for a First Class Cold Slipper Bath and for a Second Class
Cold Slipper Bath are 4d. and l$d. respectively. There are 6 special Warm Baths for the use of
which a charge of 1/- is made.

In the Wash-house or Laundry Department, there were 90 wash-tubs in use in 1924. In order
to prevent the wash-tubs being used by professional laundry-women, to the exclusion of women
doing their own family washing, the prices to be paid by a user of a wash-tub are as follows:—
2d. for each of the first four hours on any one day.
4d. for the fifth hour on any one day, and
6d. for the sixth and every succeeding hour on any one day.