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among those already in their service, appointed Mr. T. F. Strutt
to be Chief Sanitary Inspector, and I am glad to have the opportunity
of saying that the work has proceeded very smoothly and
satisfactorily under him. I desire also to express my appreciation
of the manner in which the whole staff of the Health Department
have freely given their services during the outbreak of smallpox.
Many of them have been on duty to midnight or longer for several
weeks, and gave up Saturdays and Sundays, in order that patients
might be promptly removed and precautions taken to prevent infection
spreading to others.
The division of the City as described was a tentative one, and
so far worked fairly well, but the present outdoor staff has not been
able to cope with several branches of work. Partly, this has been
due to the smallpox outbreak, but the extra duties imposed by the
Factory and Workshop Act will render it inadequate to carry out
the duties in the efficient manner which is the aim of the Department.
It will be the duty of the Council to consider how best this may
be met during the present year. Most Metropolitan Boroughs are
appointing women to act as Health Visitors, to look after places
where women are employed, to visit among the poorer classes, and
give advice with reference to domestic hygiene, to call at houses
let out in tenements, &c. The work of such Health Visitors is
reported to be of much value wherever they have been appointed,
and they do not interfere with, but rather relieve, the Sanitary
Inspector of a good deal of work with which a man is not so well
qualified to deal.
The question of appointing an Assistant Medical Officer was
discussed by the Council at the time when the staff was being
arranged. I am able to say now that there is ample work for such
an officer, who might be obtained without much extra cost, as he
would be able to undertake the examination of candidates selected
for positions under the Council, of employes who were ill or
incapacitated, as well as the bacteriological and other work, for
which the Council now employs outside help.
The clerical staff has been reinforced by the temporary appointment
of a boy clerk and of an officer to collect statistics relating to
the question of the housing of the labouring classes.
There were five mortuary keepers, but these have been reduced
to three, and two of these assist in other work, disinfecting, &c.
The disinfecting staff consists of eight men (two being drivers,
and one engineer), assisted by those mentioned above, and temporary
men when required.