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36 ON THE SANITARY CONDITION OF
drainage, special reports, correspondence, copies of complaints,
&c., relating to the particular house. Each enclosure bears a
number corresponding to that on its envelope. The card index
contains a list of the papers enclosed in the envelope, but besides,
is a record of all deaths and infectious disease occurring in connection
with each house, the number of people found occupying
it at times of inspection, dates of complaints, of inspection, particulars
of intimations and statutory notices served, a note of the
occupations carried on and persons employed therein, dates ot
building, of re-building and of re-draining, and other matters
affecting the sanitary condition of the house. The envelopes are
stored in cases according to number. The cards, each of which
bears a number corresponding to that of the envelope to which it
refers, are kept in a couple of drawers arranged according to
streets. They are thus easy of access, and the details may be
promptly entered on the cards. To ensure this being properly
carried out, it must be done daily and regularly. It is impossible
to do this without the services of a clerk. A temporary arrangement
was made whereby one of the junior clerks in the Clerk's
office gave bis spare time to the Health Department, but this
arrangement has not proved satisfactory, and I trust that a clerk
will be appointed specially to the department. There is, besides
that described above, a considerable amount of clerical work
which at present falls upon the Sanitary Officers and myself, and
is a hindrance to the out-door work of these officers.
Workshops.
The inspection of workplaces is the special duty of Inspector
Martinson, and the nature of the employments chiefly carried out
in the District are set out in the list prepared by him of the work
done under this heading during the year 1898. From the way
in which dwellings and workplaces are united in the same
building, it follows not infrequently, that the house as a whole
has been inspected by Inspector Strutt, so that works of re-drainage
and such like may be included in the general list rather than
under that of "Workshops."