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12
Unless proper arrangements exist behind counters for the cleansing of glasses customers
will receive beer in glasses soiled with lipstick, an obvious evidence of insufficient cleansing.
Factories.
Your Factory Inspectors paid 5,673 visits in 1948, compared with 3,954 in 1947. These
visits included 440 to bakehouses and 307 to outworkers' premises. Towards the end of the
year a survey of conditions of out-work commenced, and I hope to give details of the results
of this survey in my report for 1949.
Particular attention has been paid to bakehouses. In 1945 there were 60 bakehouses
in the Borough, of which 33 were underground.
Three underground bakehouses have since been closed and it is hoped within a short
time that another five will be replaced by modern premises at ground floor level.
Generally.
It remains for me once again to thank the Council and the Committees for the help and
courtesy I have received at all times. The maintenance of the health of the Borough depends,
however, not only on the work of the department but on the doctors who practise within
its boundaries, and the co-operation of my colleagues whose help I have had at all times.
It has been said that the work of a health department is least obvious, and thus less
appreciated, when it is working most efficiently. This is true; a health department is often
praised for dealing competently with an epidemic, but seldom congratulated for preventing
one. The year 1948 shows a steady increase in the volume of work that has been carried
out. It also shows a widening of the scope of the work of the department and the happy
co-operation with all those communities in St. Pancras with whom it has to work. But
St. Pancras is still a Borough where housing is inadequate, where there is much out-moded
property and where standards of hygiene have yet to be considerably raised: and there are
still many classes of the community as regards age, occupation and environmental condition
who need the active help of the Borough Council. The work of 1948 shows only some of the
roads that are open and need investigation in the years that are now ahead.
I beg to remain,
Your Worship, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
DENNIS H. GEFFEN,
Medical Officer of Health.