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By and large the hairdressers and barbers in the Borough carry
out their business in a satisfactory and hygienic manner. Whilst this
may be due to the fact that the public tends to show discrimination
and will cease to go to a hairdresser" s shop where the conditions are
patently bad, I think it only right to say that the proprietors them
selves have shown a spirit of understanding and co-operation to which
I should like to pay tribute
The Public Health Department has continued its practise of previous
years of visiting all persons in the borough known to the Department
as being blind. The total number we have visited is 46, but I have
reason to believe that this represents less than a quarter of those
on the register of the London County Council. This register is not
available to the department and it is only in the event of cases
coming to our notice from other sources that we are able to visit.
The object of the inspection by the Public Health Inspector is twofold.
In the first place he looks for defects that might not be
apparent to the blind person and he secures their remedy. In the
second place he is an additional visitor who is welcomed as a friend.
Those we visited were in the following age groups:-
The individual under 15 was at school Of the remainder, 12 were
working, 2 at home and 10 elsewhere. Of the six totally blind persons
who were employed, one was working at home on basket making and the
other on machine knitting The other four worked at the National
Institute for the Blind. Of those who were not completely blind, one
was a piano tuner one employed in a cafe and the remainder attended
the National Institute for the Blind or the London County Council
Institute,
60 visits were made during the year,, and in every case the visit
was welcomed. That these visits are necessary is illustrated by the
fact that it was necessary to serve a sanitary notice in seven cases;
in one case a separate water supply was provided to a partially blind
person living alone. Prior to the provision of this water supply he
had drawn water from a tap on the staircase and disposed of the waste
water down the ground floor water closet. He lived on the first floor.
In other cases a notice was served for dampness, disinfestation of
verminous rooms the repair of a dangerous handrail and floor,, and
the redecoration of rooms.
Blind persons
0-15
16-30
31-45
46-65
Over 65
1
3
2
14
26
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