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
Islington 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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to the Middle Level Sewer No. 2, which runs in the County Council area from
Padding-ton, through Islington, to Shoreditch, and follows roughly the line of
Lyon Street, Caledonian Road, Thornhill Road, Lofting Road, Barnsbury Street,
Spencer Street, and New North Road. This sewer is admittedly one of the foulest
sewers in London, receiving manufacturing effluent from Brent, Edgware and
surrounding districts, and it has been stated that where it passes through Paddington,
the Paddington Borough Council had been in the habit of putting into the
sewer quantities of chloride of lime in an endeavour to remedy the smell trouble
from it within their Borough. One reason probably for ventilating through the
sewer covers was the " scare " caused by the Holborn explosion. The London
County Council were again communicated with by the Town Clerk in September,
who expressed the hope that the County Council Authority would find some remedy
for effectively ventilating their sewers without causing the inconvenience and
discomfort which resulted from the present method in use.
RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT, 1919.
(9 and 10 Geo. 5. Ch. 72.)
This Act came into operation on the 1st January, 1920, to make further
provision for the destruction of rats and mice.
During Rat Week our usual transparencies announcing Rat Week were used
in the places visited by the Public in the Public Health Department. There was
sold from our department a vermicide for rats put up in convenient containers
with full directions.
Summary of Work under the Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act during the years 1922-29:—
| 1922 | 1923* | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Streets visited | 711 | 544 | 91 | 96 | 217 | 235 | 203 | 144 |
| Number of Private Houses visited | 1,023 | 650 | 176 | 133 | 320 | 368 | 349 | 223 |
| Number of Shops and Factories visited | 1,009 | 712 | 19 | 14 | 61 | 81 | 56 | 36 |
| Total Premises inspected | 2,032 | 1,362 | 195 | 147 | 381 | 449 | 405 | 259 |
| Found Rat Infested | 1,031 | 787 | 61 | 66 | 174 | 191 | 154 | 101 |
| Found Mice Infested | 72 | 66 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 4 |
| Defective Drains Repaired (Cause of Rat trouble) | 52 | 13 | 60 | 51 | 49 | 48 | 49 | 23 |
| Number of Complaints received | 177 | 67 | 118 | 105 | 173 | 202 | 150 | 124 |
| * Appointment of temporary Rat Officer terminated 15th June, 1923. | ||||||||
HOUSING.
On the 5th April, 1929, the following representation by the Medical Officer of
Health was forwarded to the London County Council:—
5th April, 1929.
Sir,
I beg to represent pursuant to the provisions of the Housing Act, 1925,
that within the area in the Metropolitan Borough of Islington shown by a
pink tint on the plan annexed hereto houses are unfit for human habitation
and/or the narrowness, closeness and bad arrangement or the bad condition
of the streets and houses or groups of houses within such area or the want of
light or ventilation or proper conveniences or any other sanitary defects or
one or more of such causes are dangerous or injurious to the health of the
inhabitants either of the buildings of the said area or of the neighbouring
buildings and that the most satisfactory method of dealing with the evils