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28
Smoke Abatement.
The smoke shafts in the Borough were frequently kept under observation and
in 340 cases the inspections were recorded. Some of these observations were made in
the early morning when smoke pollution is more prevalent. Generally the observations
extended over periods of not less than one hour. Seven complaints were also received.
As the result of the inspections six intimation notices were served.
Much of the black smoke nuisance arises from careless or inefficient stoking.
Stoking is usually considered an unskilled employment, and the stoker commonly
receives but little instructions how to carry out his work. With a view to encouraging
careful and efficient stoking, poster cards giving practical instruction as to stoking, and
suitable for hanging in boiler rooms, were obtained and a number of employers agreed
to exhibit them.
During a part of the year, owing to the coal strike, nuisances were caused
from black smoke due to the use of inferior coal, but every effort was made to
ensure that as soon as possible the use of suitable coal was resumed.
Common Lodging Houses Acts, 1851 and 1853.
Twelve Common Lodging Houses are registered in the Borough for 920
lodgers, viz., 842 males and 78 females.
The Common Lodging House accommodation in Holborn is equal to 21 beds
per 1,000 of the population. The death-rate amongst common lodging house residents
is very high ; in this Borough it was 57'6 per 1,000 in 1926.
FOOD.
Dairies, Cowsheds and Milkshops.
The number of registered dairies and milkshops in the Borough at the end of the
year was 124. Eleven retail dairies and milkshops were newly registered, and sixteen
removed from the register.
In addition to my inspections the Sanitary Inspectors made 157 inspections of
these premises. It was not necessary for any notice to be served for sanitary defects or
breaches of regulations.
Residue from Milk Clarifiers.
As it would seem probable that pigs have been infected with tuberculosis as
a result of feeding with infected milk and slime from clarifiers, enquiry was made
at the various establishments in the Borough where milk is cleansed by clarifiers
to ascertain what is done with the residue after the milk has been passed through
the cleansers. It was found in one case that this residue is at once destroyed by
burning in a furnace used in connection with a pasteurising plant, in all other cases
it is at once washed down the drains.
Bacteriological Examination of Milk.
Twenty-five samples of milk were examined for the presence of tubercle bacilli; five
of these were also examined to ascertain the number of organisms per cubic centimetre
and the smallest volume containing B. coli.