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39
The Council during the year 1892 received 694 complaints, in which it was alleged that premises
were defective or that there was neglect of sanitary administration. Enquiry was made in respect of
each complaint, and whenever necessary the sanitary authorities concerned were communicated with.
Inspection was also made to ensure that the subject of complaint was remedied.
Mortuaries.
Early in the year I communicated with the several medical officers of health, asking for
information as to the mortuary accommodation in each district. Enquiry was also made as to whether
a post-mortem room was attached to the mortuary, whether a separate room for the bodies of persons
dying from infectious complaints was provided, and as to the number of bodies which had been received
in the mortuary during each of the preceding three years.
Later in the year the information thus obtained was supplemented by inspection of all the
mortuaries in London, and it was found that some districts were well provided with proper and adequate
mortuary accommodation, but in a large number the provision was inadequate. This subject has been
receiving the attention of a joint committee consisting of members of the Public Health and Housing
Committee and the Public Control Committee.
Disinfection.
Under section 23 of the Sanitary Act, 1866, sanitary authorities were empowered to provide the
apparatus necessary for disinfection, and under the Infectious Disease (Prevention) Act 1890, they
were required to provide, free of charge, temporary shelter or house accommodation with any necessary
attendants for the members of any family in which any infectious disease has appeared, who have been
compelled to leave their dwellings for the purpose of enabling such dwellings to be disinfected by the
local authority. Under the Public Health (London) Act it is obligatory to make provision of both.
In 1892 disinfecting apparatus had been provided in the following districts—
Districts provided with steam apparatus—
St. George, Hanover-square
St. Pancras
St. Giles
Strand
Shoreditch
Bermondsey
Camberwell
Greenwich
Woolwich
Bethnal-green
Hampstead
St. James
Mile-end Old-town
Lambeth
Plumstead
In Hackney a new steam apparatus was ordered. In Whitechapel a new steam apparatus was
selected. In St. George-the-Martyr it was decided to have a steam apparatus. The sanitary authorities
of St. George-in-the-East and Limehouse decided to combine for the purpose of providing a steam
disinfector.
In the following districts the sanitary authorities obtain the use of a steam apparatus by arrangement
with a contractor—
Kensington
Paddington
Fulham
Westminster
Islington
St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Holborn
St. Olave
Kotherhithe
Battersea
Wandsworth
In the following districts are apparatus for disinfecting with dry heat—
Hammersmith Poplar
Chelsea St. Saviour, Southwark
Marylebone St. George-the-Martyr, Southwark (see
Hackney (see above) above)
Clerkenwell Newington
St. Luke Lewisham
Whitechapel (see above) Plumstead (Lee)
Limehouse
St. George-in-tlie-East(see above), Plumstead, Charlton and Eltham destroy instead of disinfect.
Shelters had been provided in the following districts—
St. George, Hanover-square St. George-in-the-East
Westminster Wandsworth
Marylebone Greenwich (Greenwich Parish)
Hampstead Woolwich
St. Pancras (in course of erection) Plumstead (Charlton Parish)
Clerkenwell
In several districts the subject of provision of a shelter has been under consideration.
Holborn and St. Luke use the shelter of Clerkenwell, each paying £25 per annum. Whitechapel
uses, when necessary, a room near the coroner's court. St. Olave has a very imperfect shelter of one
room in Vine-street. In Hammersmith and Lambeth arrangement is made on occasions of need.
Food and Drugs Act.
The Council receives no returns as to proceedings under the Food and Drugs Act, but information
as to the number of samples of different articles submitted to the public analysts and the
number found adulterated is contained in many of the reports of medical officers of health, and a
complete return for the metropolis is contained in the report of the Local Government Board. During
the year 1892 7,380 samples were submitted to the public analysts, or 1.7 per 1,000 of the population