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Cleansing of Persons.—Under the provisions of this Act seven
persons received a free bath and had their verminous clothing disinfected.
Since the closing of the Denzell Street premises there has been
no accommodation for this work, but provision is to be made at the new
central station, and as it will probably be in the vicinity of most of the
common lodging-houses, it is likely that greater use will be made of it.
The Guardians have dealt with frequenters of their Casual Wards at
their own establishments.
Verminous Houses.—Twenty-two rooms in nine houses were fumigated
with burning sulphur, and 385 articles were passed through the
disinfecting apparatus.
Mortuaries.
The number of bodies removed to the public mortuaries in the City
during 1905 was 370; 344 were taken to Horseferry Eoad, 13 to
Dufour's Place. 11 to Drury Lane, and 2 to Ebury Bridge. There were
313 inquests held, all being at Horseferry Eoad, where the Coroner's
Court is situated; 15 adjourned inquests were held. The number of
inquests was 12 per cent, of the deaths registered in the City.
Post-mortem examinations were made at Horseferry Eoad in 204
instances, and at Dufour's Place in 12 instances.
Sixty-one bodies were removed to mortuaries to await burial, 35
being taken to Horseferry Eoad Mortuary, the remainder to the other
mortuaries specified above.
A petition signed by over forty influential citizens of Westminster,
alleging the urgent need for a public mortuary for the reception of
bodies awaiting burial in the City, apart from the one already existing
and attached to the Coroner's Court, Horseferry Eoad, was presented to
the Mayor, and referred to the Public Health Committee, who reported
to the Council as follows :—
"Prom a report submitted to us by the Medical Officer of Health,
we have ascertained that there are five public mortuaries in
the City (viz., in Horseferry Eoad, Mount Street, Drury Lane,
Dufour's Place and Ebury Bridge, and two private mortuaries,