Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth District, The Board of Works (Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting & Wandsworth)]
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Inquests,— Violent, Accidental, and Sudden Deaths.The
inquests held during the past year were 7 in number,
and upon the following cases:—Accidental Asphyxia, 1;
Accidental Burns and Scalds, 2 ; Run over by locomotive
on railway, 1; Suicides whilst mentally deranged, 2;
Natural but sudden death from Heart Disease, 1. There
is nothing in these inquiries calling for remark in this
Report, further than that these accidental deaths are much
to be regretted, displaying, as they do, an extraordinary
amount of carelessness and indifference to life.
Sanitary Proceedings of the Year.—By comparing Table
VI. in the Appendix of this Report with that of the preceding
year, it will be seen that a great number of feet of
new sewers have been completed since the issue of the
last Report. In 1868 as many as 14,672 feet of this great
work were carried out. The number of feet completed
in the past year is 19,430. For a detail of the other
sanitary proceedings in this Sub-district, which have been
quite as many and quite as important as any carried out
in former years, the reader is referred to the table itself.
I need scarcely remark that all the Cow and Slaughterhouses
within the Sub-district were as usual inspected
and reported on to the Board. It affords me much
satisfaction to be able to state that no cases of nuisance
were brought under the notice of the Police Magistrates,
and that but slight difficulties have been experienced in
carrying out the sanitary improvements that have been
deemed necessary during the past year for the preservation
of the public health.
I make no allusion in this Report to the water supply
of the Sub-district, because I consider the special Report
which I joined my colleagues in rendering some months
ago, contained all that could be urged upon the subject.
I trust, however, the authorities and the public will not
cease to agitate the question of a constant supply of this
great necessary of life, until that much needed reform of
the present system is fully accomplished.
D. C. NOEL,
Medical Officer of Health
for Streatham, Tooting, and Balham.