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Offensive Businesses.—In regard to nuisance from the refuse of offensive businesses, the
Vestry, since 1878, have taken the lead in measures to secure amendment of the law, in order to
the mitigation of nuisance, in the storage, collection, and transit through streets, of offensive
matter, a subject fully dealt with in the annual report for 1887 (page 176), among others.
During many years the Vestiy have made efforts to get the business of a marine-store dealer
added to the list of offensive businesses, scheduled, originally, in the Slaughter Houses (Metropolis)
Act, 1874. But the Metropolitan Board of Works, in 1883, and the County Council in
1896, declined to take steps to this end, although the High Court had decided that the said
business is ejusdem generis with the scheduled businesses.
Nuisance from the Keeping of Swine, in the Potteries District, long since abolished,
involved great labour and difficulty in the early years of the Vestry's administration. Some
2,000 pigs were formerly kept in the district, which, moreover, reeked with effluvia from the
boiling of domestic refuse in the preparation of food for the pigs. The bye.laws of the Metropolitan
Board of Works, made under the provisions of the Slaughter Houses (Metropolis) Act,
1874, enabled the Vestiy, with the aid of the " Local Authority," to put an end to the latter
nuisance: now only one fat.melting business remains, and it is carried on, not indeed without
causing occasional nuisance, but under conditions designed to prevent nuisance. Coeval with
the nuisances incidental to the keeping of swine was the nuisance at Tucker's candle factory and
tallow melting works, in Kensington Higli.street, the cause of great annoyance and incessant
complaints during many years, but long since a thing of the past.
Tirickburning, a fertile cause of complaint in by.gone years, has, through the Vestiy's
proceedings, ceased to be a nuisance in Kensington.
Glanders.—The late Metropolitan Board of Works was constituted Local Authority for
London under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act, 1878, glanders being one of the diseases
that came under their cognisance. The provisions of the Act in respect to this disease were
scandalously disregarded by many horse owners. A glaring instance occurred at Colville-mews,
in this parish, in 1879. A large number of horses, victims to glanders and farcy, at a cab
proprietor's stables, had been illegally removed to another mews, and to Wandsworth, where
they were slaughtered, without the knowledge of the local authority. A deplorable incident,
which led to discovery of the outbreak, was the illness of two children of a horsekeeper who
had contracted the disease. One died at home, the other at St. Mary's Hospital. The coroner
for West Middlesex declined my request for an inquest. The coroner for Central Middlesex,
realising the gravity of the occurrence, held an enquiry, at which the Privy Council, the Metropolitan
Board, and the Vestry were represented. Surprising facts came to light: it was proved
that nearly every provision of the law had been violated. A number of prosecutions followed;
heavy fines were inflicted upon offenders, and the magistrates expressed their determination to
inflict the maximum penalty for offences tinder the Act. The proceedings led to increased
activity by the Local Authority and the disclosure of large numbers of cases of glanders—990 in
1879, the largest total then ever recorded—followed by a considerable decline in subsequent
years. I received a letter of thanks from the Lords of the Council for my services in the matter.
Particulars of the outbreak, and the resultant proceedings, were given in the annual report for
1878.79, page 48.
Conclusion.—It is only since 1889 that London has had the advantage of possessing a medical
officer of health for purposes of central sanitary administration. Previous to that year, the
Vestry made up, in some sense, for the want of such an officer, by efforts to bring about uniformity
of action on the part of the Sanitary Authorities; chiefly by circulating the reports in which the
subjects referred to in this valedictory supplement had been dealt with. That so many of the
objects contended for, in respect to public health and sanitary administration, have been attained,
as the result of such action, is surely a matter on which the Vestry, at this its last meeting, may be
congratulated. At the same time, a due meed of acknowledgment should be made of the work of
the Metropolitan Asylums Board, as Hospital and Ambulance Authority. With rare and brief periods
of prudent hesitation, the Managers ever rose to the level of their great opportunities, and did service
to London, and by their example to the country at large, of which the value can hardly be overestimated.
For my own part, I can but express regret to have found it impossible to do justice to
the theme of this Retrospect ; the subjects of which, and many another contained in nearly four
hundred monthly, and thirty annual reports, are too important to be adequately dealt with, in the
time and space, at my disposal. Thanks are due to the Vestry for the support without which my
power for usefulness would have been small indeed, and to every member of the Staff placed at my
disposal, for loyal service, at all times, and in all the work of the Public Health Department.
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