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

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St George (Southwark) 1896

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark, The Vestry of the Parish of St. George the Martyr]

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18
Parish of St. George the Martyr, Southwark.
The house do not comply with the clauses named above by
reason of the following defects, namely:—
(Signed),
District Sanitary Inspector.
Date 189
Inland Revenue,
Somerset House, London, W.C.
13th January, 1897.
Sir,
With reference to your letter of the 30th November last, I am directed by
the Board of Inland Revenue to state that they can only inform you that they would
be prepared to receive a Certificate in the form proposed by you. in any case where
relief from the Inhabited House Duty is sought under the provisions of Section 26 (2)
of the Act 53 and 54 Vic., c. 8, as amended by Section 4 of the Act 54 and 55 Vic.,
c. 25.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
(Signed) T. N. CRAFER,
Secretary.
F. J. Waldo, Esq., M.D.
The whole of the foregoing facts and correspondence was laid before the Health
Committee, who refused to sanction the signature of the District Inspectors to the
printed form provided for that purpose.
From this decision I am in doubt as to whether the Committee expect me to
examine drains, and do the necessary work myself, or whether I am to employ the
Inspectors, but, at the same time, to refrain from asking them to furnish me with the
formal evidence of a signed report as to the discharge of duties clearly within their
province and outside my own.
Alcohol.
The drink problem nowhere presses for solution with more urgency than in a
poor and crowded district such as St. George's, Southwark. It seems likely, judging
from the general trend of public opinion, that the question of environment has much
to do with the alcoholic craving of the individual. At any rate the wealthier and
healthier classes of society consume far less alcohol than the less well to do.
Mortuary and Coroner's Court:
Two hundred and twelve bodies were removed to the parish mortuary during the
year 1896, as against 207 in 1895, 190 in 1894, 236 in 1893, and 191 in 1892.