London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Marylebone 1899

The sanitary chronicles of the Parish of St. Marylebone being the annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1899

This page requires JavaScript

19
The list of articles is as follows:—
Beds 386
Mattresses 542
Bolsters 526
Pillows 1,380
Sheets 917
Blankets 2,315
Sundries 33,417
39483
The disinfecting vans have been used 580 times.
The disinfection for Hampstead Vestry from July 24th
to 1st November amounted to 261 bundles.
CLEANSING OF PERSONS ACT.
The facilities afforded by the Vestry, under the Cleansing
of Persons Act, in the shape of free hot baths and
simultaneous disinfection of the clothing, have been taken
advantage of by about 3,000 males, the actual number of baths
given being 4,341. The majority of the 3,000 had one bath
only, but 28 per cent had at least two baths, and a few as
many as fifteen baths. No rule has been laid down as to the
number of baths in a given period an applicant is permitted
to take. It is, indeed, obvious that one cleansing operation
is quite temporary in its good effect, and that it is not wise
or practicable to lay down any hard and fast rule. The
applicants were, for the most part, extremely dirty, swarming
with parasites, and a good percentage suffered from affections
of the skin, produced and aggravated by the unfortunate conditions
under which they exist. Nearly all give as addresses
such places as the Salvation Army Shelter in Burne Street,
and the various common lodging-houses in the Parish. The
new building giving more bath accommodation and extending
the privileges to women is now (January, 1000) complete,
so that the benefits conferred by the Act will be available to
a larger class of persons.