View report page

16
however, is still attached to the necessity of reducing atmospheric
pollution and considerable advance has been made in this direction in
recent years, interrupted inevitably by the dislocation caused through
war. In fact to assist the defence of London against air attack owners of
fuel consuming appliances were officially requested to produce as much
smoke as possible. Many premises in Westminster are now using modern
plant with scientific aids to smoke detection and prevention, and others
are being encouraged to follow their example. Thus when suitable fuel
becomes universally obtainable there appears to be no justifiable reason
why the sky over the City will not be the invariable azure to be seen on a
summer's day over our rural areas.
Nuisances, a general term meaning anything that annoys, or irritates,
but which to a public health department implies something more definite
in its effect on health have varied in character in some ways over the
years. In 1900 very many notices served requesting the abatement of
nuisance arose from the improper keeping of animals, defective drainage
and paving of stables, absence of proper dung receptacles and offensive
accumulations. Motor cars have taken the place of horses and the stables
in the numerous mews ways have become garages, nay, even the biiou
residences of the elite.
Few citizens now keep animals other than dogs and cats but since the
end of the second world war the problem of offensive accumulations has
again become prominent owing to the many tempting and free dumping
grounds created by the activities of the German air force. Due largely
to an excellent code of byelaws, together with more suitable materials
and expert craftsmanship, comparatively few nuisances arise from
defective drainage today but in the early days of the century defective
apparatus and breakdowns in system called for the service of very many
notices. The sanitary inspector of those days must have spent many
anxious hours brooding over defective drainage systems (no less than
4.891 drains, etc., constructed, repaired or cleansed in 1901) for, with
the much greater prevalence of enteric fever, nothing could have been a
greater potential danger to health. Possibly this may account for so
many people still associating the name of this class of public health
officer with drains and nothing but drains.
Possibly the inspection of food and food premises is one of the most
publicised duties of the department today, but in 1900 it was more the
tracking down of adulterated food which called for special attention
judging by the number of our citizens who offended against accepted
food standards.
Within the precincts of the City at that period existed three cowsheds,
two slaughterhouses, two tripe boilers and a tallow melter in addition
to 97 underground bakehouses, 108 ice cream makers, 368 catering
establishments and of course Covent Garden Market.
The cows and slaughterhouses have disappeared long since whilst
tripe is a commodity which does not find popular favour in the City
judging by its rare appearance in the butchers' shops of today; tallow
candles and flares play no part in the illumination of our homes and