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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formed the subjects of special reports, one of which was
connected with an offensive trade recently introduced into
the parish. With reference to offensive trades generally,
it should be remarked that the permission for their
introduction into the District cannot be too jealously
guarded, now that they are being expelled from the
metropolis into its more healthy suburbs; and it becomes
a matter for serious consideration whether there be not a
requirement for the regulation of the local position of such
trades by a law based upon the relative proportion existing
between the area and the population of a district. Much
other sanitary work was accomplished as usual, which is
not contained in the table, the details of some of which
are embraced in the general term Scavengering. The
latter important sanitary proceeding is not performed in
such a manner as is best calculated to ensure the fulfilment
of its purpose ; it requires to be more frequent, regular
and searching, especially in the close courts and alleys and
the bye-ways round the dwellings of the poor, where it
should be assisted by a free use of water. A more prompt
and systematic plan of procedure is also needed, by which
the refuse of every house shall be frequently removed by
certain regular periodical visitations of the scavenger
without the necessity for any special application of the
householder for its removal, instead of the latter, as is too
often the case, being effected only under the pressure of
great inconvenience or of greater nuisance. The continuous
daily renewal of the causes creating the necessity for
these proceedings at once indicate what should be the
scavenger's duty, and what the routine of its performance.
In the presence of the very great improvement which
has taken place in the health of the town during the past
year, it is hoped that there will be no relaxation of these
every-day details of sanitation, which, singly, are apt to be