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TO THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS
OF THE CITY OF WESTMINSTER.
My Lords and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit to you my Annual Report
on the Health and Sanitary Condition of the Strand District
during the year 1900. It contains the Statistical Tables required
by the Local Government Board, and other tables from which an
idea may be formed of the position the District occupies from
a health point of view, as compared with London as a whole and
its various groups of districts. In order that uniform Statistics for
the year may be shown, I have reported as if the Strand District
still existed up to the end of 1900, and have dealt separately
with the alterations caused by the London Government Act, so
far as these relate to this part of the City.
The meteorological conditions during 1900 proved favourable
to health, and except in the first few weeks of the year when
an epidemic of influenza prevailed, death-rates were below the
average.
I have again to call attention to the great difficulty which
those classes of the community who are compelled to live in
Central London experience in finding accommodation I had
hoped that the buildings which the County Council promised
to erect, would have been ready for occupation before any
large number of persons had been displaced from the Clare
Market Area, but now many persons have had to quit
their houses without such provision having been made, with
the result that overcrowding has largely increased in the
neighbourhood.
Having lately presented a Special Report giving a view of the
health conditions in the Strand District with a resume of the
Statistics from the year 1855, I have not dealt as fully in this
Report, with the causes which tend to produce a high death-rate
in part of the District.
It affords me much pleasure to express my satisfaction with
the way in which the Sanitary Inspectors and other members of
the staff of the Health Department have discharged their duties,
and I take this opportunity of testifying to the loyal manner in
which during my eight years of office under the Strand Board,
they have at all times co-operated with me.
I am, my Lords and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
FRANCIS J. ALLAN,
Health Department, Medical Officer of Health.
5, Tavistock Street, W.C.
20th February, 1901.
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