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
City of Westminster 1909
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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dwellings. This also applies to a house containing several tenements, in
which the tenements are placed back-to-back unless the Medical Officer
of Health certifies that they are so constructed and arranged as to secure
effective ventilation of all habitable rooms in every tenement.
Under Scction 49 (1) the definition of the term " dwelling-house" in
Section 29 of the principal Act, is amended by the omission of the words
" means any inhabited building" and consequently a house would not
cease to be a dwelling-house within the definition because it ceased to
he inhabited.
Drainage, &c.
Plans.—Five hundred and eighteen sets of plans were examined
during 1909. 407 of these resulted from notices served by the
Public Health Department, and 111 were plans of new buildings
or re-constructions, the drainage of which is under the supervision of
the City Engineer, with the exception of such matters as come under
the Public Health Act and by-laws made thereunder in respect
of water closets, water supply, ventilation, &c.
Failure to send in plans as required by law occurred in eighteen
instances.
Infringement of the by-laws in connection with the erection of
buildings occurred in six instances.
Proceedings against two persons offending were taken with the following results:—
| Premises. | Offence. | Result. |
|---|---|---|
| 31, Dean Street | Constructing a water-closet without giving notice | Fined £3 and 4s. costs. |
| Do. | Constructing a water-closet contrary to By-laws | Fined £2 and. 4s. costs. |
| 11 A, Regent Street | Constructing a water-closet without previously giving notice | Fined £2 and £1 3s. costs |
The other offenders were cautioned.
Hot- Water discharged into Sewers.— The Princes Skating Club,
Knightsbridge, were summoned by the County Council under their
General Powers Act, 1894, for allowing steam or hot-water of a
temperature greater than 110® Fahr., to be discharged into the
sewers. The temperature ranged from 115° to 165°. Besides the
danger to the men employed in the sewers the raising of the temperature
is conducive -to the growth of organisms and to the discharge of obnoxious
fumes into the streets and up house drains which are not protected by
an interceptor, and even into the interior of dwellings. A fine of £10'
and 10 guineas costs was imposed.