London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Bethnal Green 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
116
GENERAL
SANITARY ADMINISTRATION.
The task of a sanitary inspector in Bethnal Green
is no easy one. A large part of the house property,
being hopelessly below modern standards in design,
worn out in fabric and closely packed together, without
proper light and air space, the mere finding and
remedying of nuisances is like trying to patch a cheap
thin worn out garment. I report elsewhere with regard
to the broader aspect of the matter in the section
dealing with Housing. Pending the performance of
the major operations there recommended, the present
sanitary ambulance work is both necessary and helps
to maintain some kind of hygienic standard, even if
a low one.
SANITARY SUPERVISION OF THE BOROUGH. A Summary of Inspections and Visits, with Matters Outstanding for the 52 weeks ended 27th december, 1930.
| Nature of Visit | Totals |
|---|---|
| Infectious Diseases (notifiable) | 2473 |
| Infectious Diseases (non-notifiable) | 362 |
| Complaints | 4985 |
| House to House Inspections | 546 |
| Milkshops (586) and Cowsheds (35) Inspections | 621 |
| Other Food Premises Inspections (Meat 7, Poultry 120, Others 1431) | 1558 |
| Factory (545) and Workshop (1692) Inspections | 2237 |
| Outworkers' Homes Inspections | 1105 |
| Tenement House Inspections | 319 |
| New Buildings Inspections | 108 |
| Drainage Inspections | 2164 |
| Smoke Nuisances—Premises under observation | 66 |
| Other Inspections or Special Work | 20773 |
| Re-Inspections | 20830 |
| Total Visits for the Year | 58147 |
| Unsound Food Seizures (2) or Surrenders (33) | 35 |
| Samples of Food, etc., taken | 707 |
| Samples of Rag Flock taken | 22 |
| Police Court Attendances | 123 |
| Premises where Nuisances abated | 6231 |
| Premises where Matters Outstanding | 965 |
Owing to the rearrangement of work necessitated by the smallpox epidemic.
it is not practicable this year to show the work of the inspectors district
by district.