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
Poplar 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Poplar, Metropolitan Borough]
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5. Sanitary Inspection of the Area. TABLE IV INSPECTIONS, INSANITARY CONDITIONS FOUND EXISTING, AND REINSPECTIONS DURING YEAR 1949.
| Total District Inspectors | Total* Housing Inspector | Totals | |||
| Number of Complaints Received | 4,490 | — | 4,490 | ||
| Number of Inspections | Dwelling Houses | House-to-House On complaint After Infec. Dis. | 122 | — | 122 |
| 4,460 | —_ | 4,460 | |||
| 208 | —_ | 208 | |||
| Factories, including factory laundries | 180 | — | 180 | ||
| Workshops, including workshop laundries | 14 | — | 14 | ||
| Workplaces | 32 | — | 32 | ||
| Outworkers | — | — | — | ||
| Stables | 33 | — | 33 | ||
| Smoke observations | 102 | — | 102 | ||
| Miscellaneous visits and inspections (including visits to Inf. Dis. contacts, school inspections, etc.) | 2,364 | 1,106 | 3,470 | ||
| Reinspections | 17,535 | — | 17,535 | ||
| Premises requiring amendment: | |||||
| (a) Dwelling-houses | 3,622 | — | 3,622 | ||
| (b) Other premises | 108 | — | 108 | ||
| Service of Intimations, etc.: | |||||
| Intimations served | 3,425 | — | 3,425 | ||
| Intimations complied with | 1,584 | — | 1,584 | ||
| Notices served | 1,716 | — | 1,716 | ||
| Notices complied with | 1,004 | — | 1,004 | ||
| Final notices served | 545 | 545 | |||
| Final notices complied with | 423 | – | 423 | ||
| Summonses applied for | 36 | — | 36 | ||
| Work done, number of instances not included above: | |||||
| (a) After legal proceedings | 27 | — | 27 | ||
| (b) Voluntarily | 365 | — | 365 | ||
| Totals | |||||
| Defects, etc., Found in Dwelling Houses: Drainage: | Nuisances, etc., found | Works completed | |||
| Drains defective | 131 | 131 | 253 | ||
| Drains obstructed | 298 | 298 | 310 | ||
| Waste pipes defective, etc. | 176 | 176 | 219 | ||
| Rainwater pipes not disconnected. | 11 | 11 | 5 | ||
| W.C.'s and flushing apparatus defective | 400 | 400 | 433 | ||
| Dampness (not due to defects shown elsewhere) Water: Supply cut off | 1,323 44 | 1,323 44 | 1,081 73 | ||
| Dust Receptacles: Insufficient or defective | 100 | 100 | 73 | ||
| Miscellaneous: | |||||
| Rooms, etc., dirty and/or verminous | 3,195 | 3,195 | 2,349 | ||
| Cases of overcrowding | 7 | 7 | — | ||
| Yards, etc., not properly paved or drained | 218 | 218 | 185 | ||
| Roofs defective | 1,816 | 1,816 | 1,386 | ||
| Rainwater pipes and gutters defective | 738 | 738 | 551 | ||
| Public House Urinals requiring cleansing. | 33 | 33 | 21 | ||
| Other nuisances or defects | 7,305 | 7,305 | 5,795 | ||
| Defects found in Factories, Workshops, etc.: | |||||
| Sanitary defects | 56 | 56 | 89 | ||
| W.C. accommodation, insufficient or unsuitable | 41 | 41 | 66 | ||
| Overcrowding | 13 | 13 | 13 | ||
| Stables: | |||||
| Manure receptacles defective, etc. | 3 | 3 | 5 | ||
| Accumulations found | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Number of Visits by Assistants (not included above) | 14,348 | ||||
| * Housing Inspector also engaged on Inspections, etc., in connection with Slum Clearance Survey. | |||||