London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
St Pancras 1902
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, London, Borough of]
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I append a table shewing the number of rooms fumigated, stripped, and cleansed.
| Disease. | Number of Rooms Fumigated. | Number of Rooms Stripped and Cleansed. |
|---|---|---|
| Small-pox | 328 cubicles, 1 omnibus, and 368 rooms | 328 cubicles, 383 rooms, |
| Scarlet Fever | 4 cubicles and 1067 rooms | 4 cubicles and 1063 rooms. |
| Diphtheria | 723 rooms | 739 rooms. |
| Membranous Group | 9 „ | 9 „ |
| Total | 332 cubicles, 2185 rooms, 1 omnibus | 332 cubicles, 2194 rooms. |
Registered Tenement Homes.
982 houses Were added to the register, bringing the total up to 1270, the
majority of which are in the Southern Divisions of this Borough. 1761
inspections and 4357 re-inspections were made of these premises.
A vast improvement has been made in the condition of these houses by
enforcing the Bylaws, the rooms and passages being periodically cleansed,
and the premises generally being put into a wholesome condition. That good
work has been done by the Tenement House Inspectors is demonstrated by the
fact that two Inspectors were specially instructed to visit Registered Tenement
Houses between the hours of 4 and 8.30 a.m., and made 1140 inspections, and
discovered a comparatively small number of cases of excessive overcrowding.
On comparing the early morning inspector's return of occupants they
actually saw on the premises with the return made out by the inspector who
measured the premises prior to being placed on the Register, it is seen that
overcrowding was abated upon the primary inspection of the premises in most
cases. It is an occasional occurrence for an inspector serving a notice for the
abatement of overcrowding to come across the displaced family overcrowding
at another premises, only to be turned out again. By periodical inspection
these are dispersed amongst the better class of workers and gradually improve
in their habits.
Inscribed Dwellings.
There are 186 dwellings inscribed on the register for periodical inspection,
to which 215 inspections were made.
These consist of dwellings to which the Tenement House By-laws do not
apply by being occupied by members of not more than one family, such as
stable dwellings and some blocks of self-contained dwellings,