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Employers were invited to allow their staffs to make use of the facilities, and consent was readily given, with the
result that attendance from this source reached the satisfactory figure of 2,000. The attention of private residents
was called to the opportunity for X-ray by means of posters, advertisements in local papers, and distribution of leaflets
from various Council establishments. The result was, however, disappointing, only about 100 residents attending.
In the past certain general statistical data of the results has been furnished by the London County Council, but it
is not anticipated that any information will be available in respect of this session, and with the coming into force of the
National Health Service Act, control of Miniature Mass Radiography has been transferred to the Hospital Regional
Board.
national assistance act, 1948.—The Council is responsible for the administration of two sections of this Act
the greater part of which came into force on the 5th July, 1948.
Section 47—Removal to suitable premises of persons in need of care and attention.—
This Section takes the place of Section 224 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, and embodies the main
provisions of that Section, there being only one or two alterations in administrative procedure.
No orders of the Court were applied for under either Act during the year. All the cases brought to the notice of
the Department were dealt with informally, admission to hospital or institution being achieved by persuasion in some
instances, the remaining cases being found on investigation not to come within the definition laid down, viz. :—
" Persons suffering from grave chronic disease or, being aged, infirm, or physically incapacitated, are living in insanitary
conditions, and are unable to devote to themselves, and are not receiving from other persons, proper care and
attention."
The duties of visiting are assigned to the Lady Sanitary Inspectors, who made 411 calls during the year. It may
be mentioned that all cases coming to our knowledge, whether or not coming within the scope of the Act, are
periodically visited in case a change of circumstances should occur.
Section 50—Burial or cremation of the dead.—This Section places upon Sanitary Authorities the duty of arranging the
burial or cremation of any person who has died or been found dead where it appears that no suitable arrangements for
the disposal of the body have been or are being made otherwise than by the local authority.
From the 5th July until the end of the year 66 burials had been arranged, there being no cremations.
mortuary.—382 bodies were taken to the Mortuary, a decrease of 34 over the number for 1947. Inquests were
held in 169 cases, and Coroner's Certificates were issued in 197. The remaining 16 bodies were taken to the Mortuary
to await burial.
water supply.—No complaints were received during the year as to the quality of the water supplied by the Metropolitan
Water Board. The Board reported 9 cases of water being cut off owing to wastage or non-payment of rates,
this being a legal requirement. In all cases the supplies were reinstated without undue delay following appropriate
action by the Public Health Department.
The Medical Officer of Health and the several Sanitary Inspectors have been authorised, by resolution of the
Council, to act for the purposes of Section 14 of the Water Act, 1945. This empowers the specified officers to enter
any premises for the purpose of inspection to see that there is no waste of water, and generally to see that the provisions
of Section 14 are being carried out.
fumigation service and cleansing of verminous rooms.—Very good use continues to be made of the
Fumigation Service, 740 rooms being fumigated and 729 sprayed at the request of owners. The use of the service is
invariably offered informally before serving notice under Section 123 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936. The
effect of this procedure is that the number of notices requiring to be served has been reduced to negligible proportions.
disinfecting station and medicinal baths.—Approximately 14 tons of bedding etc. were dealt with in the
steam disinfector, and 312 rooms were disinfected with formalin after the occurrence of infectious disease. 328 library
books were also disinfected.
It is pleasing to record a consistent fall in the incidence of scabies since the end of the war. In 1945, the number
of scabies cases attending the Medicinal Baths had reached 1,188 ; the number for 1948 was only 307, of which 72
were children. The Defence Regulation giving power to enforce compulsory treatment for scabies was revoked at
the end of the year.