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sciences ; medicine and surgery generally were at long last throwing
off the stagnation and reaction of centuries and a new vigorous
enlightened attitude toward community and personal health
problems was taking shape.
It was in this atmosphere that the Council of the Metropolitan
Borough of Greenwich was born and it appointed Dr. E. G. Annis as
its first Medical Officer of Health.
During 1901, the Borough's first full year, the co-operation of
General Practitioners was sought by the Medical Officer of Health
for the voluntary notification of Tuberculosis ; Diphtheria antitoxin
was made available to local Practitioners for the first time and
arrangements were made with the Clinical Research Association for
bacteriological examinations of specimens.
The year 1902 brought the introduction of the Midwives Act
and under the London County Council (General Powers) Act of the
same year registration of Ice Cream premises became compulsory.
Supervision and control of mortuaries became the responsibility of
the Public Health Committee and a site was purchased for the erection
of a mortuary in Lamb Lane (now Bardsley Lane). An effort
was made by the Medical Officer during this year to obtain information
regarding probable causes of Cancer and investigations were
carried out for several years without any definite results. In his
report for 1902, the Medical Officer of Health, in reviewing the very
high infantile mortality rate, emphasised the need for the appointment
of a Health Visitor, but in this connection no definite steps
were taken until the Notification of Births Act was adopted.
In the following year, 1903, responsibility for Sanitary Conveniences,
Horse-troughs and Drinking Fountains passed to the
Public Health Committee and in 1904 a new convenience at Blackwall
Lane was opened, as was the new Mortuary at Lamb Lane. A
conference of the Metropolitan Sanitary Authorities in this same year
advocated the opening of creches but this resolution was not
implemented.
At this time Birth Registration could not be compelled under
a period of six weeks and, in an attempt to check infantile mortality,
an arrangement was made with the London County Council for a
list of cases attended by their midwives to be sent to the Public
Health Department in order that advice on infant care, feeding, etc.
could be despatched with the least possible delay to the mothers.
In 1906, after many representations had been made to the L.C.C.
regarding the continual flooding of the Marsh Wards of the Borough
at times of heavy rainfall, two new sewers were constructed in an
effort, to control the storm waters.