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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death of 27 males and 8 females. The deaths were thus
referred:—To natural causes 19; to Violence 15; of the
latter 11 were Accidental, 2 Homicidal and 1 Suicidal,
one was not ascertained, and in one instance a verdict of
"found dead" was returned. There were two cases only
in which the cause of death was not ascertained by
medical testimony and these were investigated by the
Coroner who considered further inquiry unnecessary.
Sanitation. The nature and amount of the Sanitary
operations of the past year are, as far as practicable, set
forth in Table XI. page l9. The numbers relating to
Water-supply, Water-closets, New Drains, Dustbins, and
other details arising out of the building of new houses,
and, with few exceptions, all the figures relating to the
structural and other defects of houses as well as those
referring to the general removal of nuisances will be
found to have been very considerably in excess of those
of the year preceding. Those representing the results
of house to house inspection were fewer; 4395 houses
and premises were so examined and their conditions
recox-ded in the House-Inspection Register; the number
is less by 127 than in the previous year, but this does
not furnish an indication of a decadence from the activity
of former years but, fortunately, of a lessened necessity
for the domiciliary visits of the Inspectors. This is
readily understood when it is remembered that an
excessive amount of epidemic disease was present in
1888, whereas in the past year there was a remarkable
immunity from such disease, the fatality from which as
has been already shewn, was less than half the average
amount. Hence also the number of houses that were
disinfected were not so numerous by 114, although that
process was carried out in all instances in which any one
of the seven principal epidemic diseases had been
present. 174 houses were so dealt with, Sulphur