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 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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1937 54
The following Table summarises the work under the Act during the years 1929 to 1937:—
| 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Streets visited | 144 | 166 | 223 | 250 | 244 | 236 | 239 | 203 | 251 |
| Number of Private Houses visited | 223 | 387 | 385 | 391 | 388 | 364 | 412 | 329 | 359 |
| Number of Shops and Factories visited | 36 | 37 | 48 | 17 | 38 | 46 | 37 | 46 | 63 |
| Total Premises inspected | 259 | 424 | 433 | 408 | 426 | 410 | 449 | 375 | 422 |
| Found Rat Infested | 101 | 142 | 178 | 169 | 168 | 178 | 190 | 133 | 185 |
| Found Mice Infested | 4 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 6 |
| Defective Drains Repaired (cause of Rat trouble) | 23 | 45 | 50 | 63 | 37 | 55 | 42 | 31 | 28 |
| Number of Complaints received | 124 | 176 | 216 | 203 | 194 | 212 | 199 | 191 | 228 |
SCHOOLS.
The inspection of school children in the Metropolitan Borough of Islington
comes under the administration of the London County Council, but the general
sanitary inspection is within the purview of the Borough Council's Public Health
Department. In the public and private schools no sanitary defects were found,
and no criticism of water supply was called for during the year. The number of
private schools is now 10; (2 in use in 1936 ceased to be used during the year 1937).
SWIMMING BATHS AND POOLS.
There are three establishments, baths and washhouses, in the Borough which
belong to the Borough Council, situated at Hornsey Road, Essex Road and Caledonian
Road. The London County Council have an open-air swimming pool at Highbury
Fields, the Highbury County School at Highbury Grove has a swimming bath for
the scholars, and one of the large boarding-houses in Highbury has a small private
open-air swimming pool.
Eight samples of water were taken from the Municipal Swimming Baths, five
were submitted to bacteriological examination, and the report in each case was
that no exception could be taken to the use of the water for swimming bath purposes
on bacteriological grounds, as the water in each case was comparable to a potable
water. Three samples were submitted for chemical examination; two of these
were reported to contain free chlorine slightly in excess of 0.5 parts per million,
but not sufficient to cause inconvenience or complaint.
Two samples were taken from a private open-air swimming pool; one submitted
for chemical examination was reported to contain free chlorine slightly below
0.2 parts of chlorine per million of water. With regard to the bacteriological examination
of the same water, the report stated it not to be of a high standard for a modern
swimming pool, particularly if chlorination is employed, and that it did not approximate
to a bacteriological standard of a potable water. The owners of this private
swimming pool were made acquainted with the results and advised.
HOUSING.
Appointed Day.—As the Minister of Health has not fixed the "Appointed
Day" for Islington no further action was taken during the year on the Overcrowding
Survey.