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

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Kensington 1922

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]

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55
In 82 cases, post-mortem examinations were made under the Coroner's warrant.
Sixty-one bodies were deposited in the Chapel of Rest, Avondale Park.
On July 28th a communication was received from the Kensington Council of Social Service
complaining that dead bodies are kept too long in the homes of poor and overcrowded families and
asking the Borough Council to consider the matter with a view to taking such action as will ensure
that the existing mortuaries are more used. The matter was considered by the Public Health
Committee and a letter was sent to the Clerk of the Guardians;—
(1) Stating that there is ample accommodation at the Council's mortuaries for bodies of
persons who die at the St. Mary Abbot's Hospital and that these mortuaries can be
used for their reception ;
(2) Suggesting that the Guardians should ask their officers to encourage removal of bodies
to the Council's mortuaries, rather than to the homes of the poor ; and
(3) Asking the Guardians to expedite as far as possible the sending of information to the
Medical Officer of Health in respect of persons who die at St. Mary Abbot's
Hospital and whose bodies are to be removed to the homes of relatives.
RAG FLOCK ACT, 1911.
Four samples of rag flock were analysed and reported on during the year. They contained
20, 15. 10 and 7.5 parts of chlorine per 100,000, the limit set by the Regulations being 30 parts.
INCREASE OF RENT AND MORTGAGE INTEREST (RESTRICTIONS) ACT, 1920.
Under Section 2 of this Act, a tenant is entitled at any time, not being less than three
months after the date of an increase of rent permitted by the Act, to apply to the County Court for
an Order suspending such increase, on the ground that the house is not in all respects reasonably
fit for human habitation or is otherwise not in a reasonable state of repair. Before he can succeed,
the tenant must satisfy the Court by the production of a certificate of the sanitary authority or
otherwise that his application is well founded.
The applications made to the Council for certificates in 1920 totalled 10 and the number
granted was 2. The figures for 1921 was 12 applications and 21 certificates granted and for 1922
19 applications and 9 certificate granted.
This comparative failure by tenants to attempt to make use of this provision of the Act is
probably mainly due to the fact that many houses in a defective state of repair come under the
notice of the Sanitary Inspectors, who put the Public Health Acts into operation and thus save the
tenants the necessity of appealing to the County Court.
There are, of course, cases where the rents have not been increased to the full extent permitted
owing to the defective condition of the houses, whilst in other cases owners of houses in good
repair have not availed themselves of the advantages granted them by the Act.

CLEANSING OF VERMINOUS PERSONS ACT, 1897.

Total Cleansing.
SCABIES-
Adults187
Schoolchildren336
Children under five years81
VERMINOUS CONDITIONS—
Adults33
Schoolchildren2,819
Children under five years5
OTHER CONDITIONS—
Adults6
Schoolchildren2
Children under five years6
Total3,775

In 1920 an agreement was entered into with the London County Council, which provides for
the use of the Medicinal Baths by the County Council for the cleansing of children attending elementary
schools in and around Kensington. Under this agreement the County Council guarantee to
the Borough Council a minimum payment of £450 per annum for a period of five years.
Technically, in accordance with the provisions of the Children Act, 1908, children sent from
the elementary schools are cleansed by the School Nurse in the employ of the London County
Council, who attends at the Station for the purpose, and is responsible to her employers for the
effective use of the apparatus provided. In practice, the actual work of bathing and disinfecting
garments is executed by the Borough Council's servants under the supervision of the School Nurse