London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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56
insufficient wage in insanitary surroundings are in Kensington practically unknown. The foreign
outworkers are for the most employed in registered workshops which are regularly inspected, and
the practice of letting out sittings in workshops, which leads to grave abuses in certain districts,
does not prevail to any extent in the Borough of Kensington.
Infectious Diseases.—Infectious disease occurred in 16 premises where home work was carried
on. In no instance was it found necessary to make an Order under Section 109 to stop the work,
nor to prosecute under Sections 109-110 as the infected persons were immediately removed to
hospital, and disinfection carried out.
The appended Table summarises the work of the year, so far as it is capable of being
expressed in this form:—
| 1918 | North Kensington. | South Kensington. | Total for Borough. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dressmakers | Laundries. | Miscellaneous | Total | Dressmakers | Laundries. | Miscellaneous | Total. | ||
| 1. Workshop inspections, No. of | 102 | 189 | 218 | 509 | 654 | 10 | 225 | 889 | 1398 |
| 2. „ re-inspections ,, | 12 | 18 | 20 | 50 | 148 | — | 47 | 190 | 240 |
| 3. Workrooms inspected ,, | 114 | 575 | 248 | 937 | 1004 | 28 | 252 | 1284 | 2221 |
| 4. ,, measured „ | 16 | - | 8 | 24 | 65 | - | 5 | 70 | 94 |
| 5. „ cards distributed, No. of | 13 | - | - | 13 | 77 | - | 5 | 82 | 95 |
| 6. Workshops, &c., newly discovered and reported to H.M. Inspector | 2 | — | - | 2 | 37 | — | 14 | 51 | 58 |
| 7. Workshops, &c., reported by H.M. Inspector | 18 | 2 | 12 | 27 | 44 | — | 18 | 57 | 84 |
| 8. Workshops, &c., newly registered | 9 | — | 9 | 18 | 85 | — | 7 | 42 | 60 |
| 9. Workshops, &c., removed from register. | 12 | 9 | 4 | 25 | 26 | 4 | 9 | 39 | 64 |
| 10. Domestic workshops and workplaces inspected | 36 | 37 | 53 | 126 | 9 | - | 57 | 66 | 192 |
| 11. Sanitary defects remedied:- | |||||||||
| (a) Additional means of ventilation provided | 1 | - | 3 | 4 | 20 | - | 2 | 22 | 26 |
| (b) Booms cleansed and whitened | 1 | 21 | 1 | 23 | 12 | — | 3 | 15 | 38 |
| (c) Overcrowding abated | 1 | - | - | 1 | 6 | — | — | 6 | 7 |
| (d) Sanitary conveniences; defects remedied | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 25 | — | 10 | 35 | 47 |
| (e) Miscellaneous defects remedied | - | 13 | — | 18 | 7 | — | 4 | 11 | 24 |
| 12. Written intimations issued | 8 | 10 | 4 | 17 | 47 | 1 | 18 | 61 | 78 |
| 18. Statutory notices issued | — | - | — | — | 15 | - | 4 | 19 | 19 |