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

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Lewisham 1856

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham District]

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attempted to be given; and to determine the emolument of each
Officer, and as far as practicable, in the absence of any experience,
to fix the duties to be performed by him.
Considerable difficulty was felt by the Board, immediately upon
their own constitution, in defining the precise duties of each Officer;
and they accordingly decided that the appointments should be made
subject to revision at the end of a year. The following Officers
were appointed:—a Treasurer—Clerk—Medical Officer of Health—
Surveyor—Two Inspectors of Nuisances, to act also as Assistant
Surveyors—and a Scavenger, or Dustman.
The duties of the Clerk were defined as follows:—To give daily
attendance at an office to be provided by the Board, personally or
by deputy duly authorized by the Board, but remunerated by him;
to keep all accounts; to give and receive all notices required to be
given or received by him under the Act; to attend before Justices
as and when required by the Act; to attend all meetings and to
take minutes of all proceedings of the Board, and to keep all the
books relating thereto; to negociate and carry out any loan or loans
upon the Rates; and generally to do all the clerk's duties as prescribed
by the Act. Proposed salary not less than £200 a year.
The duties of the Surveyor, who should give his whole time to
the office:—To take charge of and superintend the repair of all
existing sewers in the district (except main sewers), and superintend
the construction of new ones and the drainage of all houses;
to superintend the maintenance and repair of all highways and
roads; the cleansing of all ponds, ditches, and cesspools; and the
lighting, cleansing, and watering the district; and to perform all
other duties appertaining to the office which are prescribed in the
Act. Proposed salary £200 a year.
The duties of the Medical Officer of Health:—To inspect and
ascertain the sanitary condition of the district; and to point out
such causes as are likely to affect injuriously the health of the
inhabitants; and the most efficacious mode of checking or preventing
the spread of epidemics; and to make a report of the same to the
Board once a month, or oftener if required. Proposed remuneration,
a fee of £5 5s. for each report.
The duties of Inspectors of Nuisances—to be likewise Assistant
Surveyors :—To enforce the execution of the duties to be performed
by the Scavenger; to provide and keep a book for entry of all
complaints made by any inhabitant of the district of any infringement
of the Act or Nuisance, into the truth of which such
Inspector should forthwith inquire and report to the Board; to
make (subject to their direction) complaints before Justices, and
take legal proceedings against offenders as required by the Act;
to act upon the instructions of the Surveyor in all matters within
their province as Assistant Surveyors; to attend all meetings of
the Board; to devote their whole time to the duties of the office;