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Cowsheds and slaughterhouses.—Eleven licensed cowsheds and ten slaughterhouses in the
district were visited. All the cowsheds were found to be in good repair and well kept. The slaughterhouses
were also found to be kept in a cleanly condition, and were in good repair. In three cases the
use of the slaughterhouse is restricted to the killing of small animals; two of these are structurally not
well adapted for slaughterhouses, but their condition of maintenance was satisfactory.
Infectious disease and disinfection.—One of the inspectors of the district devotes his time to the
duties arising in connection with the notification of infectious disease, and the collection of samples under
the Food and Drugs Act. With reference to the former, he visits each house at which a case of infectious
disease has occurred, makes inquiry and reports verbally to the medical officer of health. A book is kept
showing the action taken in each case. The disinfection of the rooms is carried out by an assistant under
the supervision of the inspector; a second assistant disinfects the articles of clothing and bedding, &c.,
at the depot of the sanitary authority in Knott-street, Deptford, and for this purpose a steam disinfector
(Washington Lyon) has been furnished. The articles are fetched from and returned to the houses in
separate vans.
The board of works has also provided a shelter for the use of the whole district of Greenwich
and Deptford, in which persons can be temporarily accommodated during the period necessary for the disinfection
of their rooms. It consists of a house in Lower East-street, Greenwich, in charge of a resident
caretaker, and in which a sitting-room and two bedrooms have been somewhat scantily furnished, such
necessaries as cooking, or food utensils being wanting. There is no bath-room. It was stated by
the caretaker that during the eight months previous to my visit the shelter had been made use of on
four separate occasions, on each occasion for a period of one night. Mr. Roberts informs me that none
of the persons who have used the shelter belong to either of the parishes of Deptford, and that up to the
present time the necessity for its use by inhabitants of Deptford has not arisen. It is desirable that a
bathroom and ordinary household articles required by persons during their stay should be provided.
Mortuary.—There are two mortuary buildings in the district, one of these, situated in the
churchyard adjoining St. Nicholas church, is an old but substantial building containing one room, a
part of which is used as a store for gardeners' tools. Only a small number of bodies appear to be
brought to this mortuary.
The second is a suitable building situated in St. Paul's-churchyard. It contains one fair-sized
room, used as a mortuary chamber for the bodies of persons who have died from infectious and noninfectious
complaints, and also as a post-mortem room. This mortuary is under the control of the
St. Paul's, Deptford, Burial Board, and Mr. Roberts has obtained the following information as to the
use of the mortuary during the years 1892 and 1893.
During 1892, 76 bodies were received in the mortuary, of which 63 were the subjects of
inquests, and two the bodies of persons who had died from infectious disease.
1893, 78 bodies were received, on 73 of which inquests were held.
It appears therefore that the use of the mortuary is almost entirely limited to bodies awaiting a
coroner's inquest.
The mortuary chamber is well maintained and fitted up, but it is desirable that separate
accommodation for the bodies of persons dying from infectious and non-infectious diseases, and for postmortem
examinations, should be provided. It must be added that there is another mortuary in the
district of the Greenwich Board of Works, namely, the parish mortuary in the churchyard of
St. Alphege, Greenwich, which has a mortuary chamber and a post-mortem room. The question of
mortuary accommodation in the Greenwich district has been the subject of correspondence between the
district board and the Council.
The collection and disposal of refuse.—The collection and removal of the dustbin refuse from
houses is carried out by the sanitary authority. In the parish of St. Paul this work is under the
supervision of a special dust superintendent, who states that a weekly collection is in force throughout
the parish, but that it is not the custom to call each week at each house except in the poorer streets
where a house to house call is made by the dustmen. The superintendent, however, makes periodical
visits in all parts of the parish to see that the work is efficiently performed. In St. Nicholas parish
the work is supervised by the road surveyor, and a weekly collection from all houses is made. The
experience gained during the course of the inspection tends to show that the work is well carried out,
as in few premises was any accumulation of house refuse observed.
The refuse is taken to the vestry's wharf on Deptford-creek, and there loaded direct into barges.
The removal of road slop and sweepings is also carried out by the servants of the board under
the supervision of the road surveyor. It is stated that trade refuse is removed by the sanitary authority
on application, but not otherwise. Some few years back the authority undertook the collection and
removal of offal from fish shops in the district, but this has since been discontinued.
Grand Surrey Canal.—This canal passes through the northern part of the district, and an
inspection was made of the condition of the water and the banks. There are few wharves on this
portion of the canal, and there was no evidence that any drainage, except surface drainage from the
banks, takes place into the water. At one wharf, where the distillation of tar oil is carried on, the surface
washings from the edge of the wharf which at times drain into the canal are mixed with a small
amount of tar oil which, floating on the water, produces a greasy, iridescent appearance on the surface,
but there is no evidence that this produces any nuisance. It was stated at some premises that the
passage of barges down the canal serves to stir up the mud in the bed of the canal, and at times
creates nuisance, but it was also stated that the company periodically dredge the canal. On the day
of inspection the surface of the water was in a cleanly condition, and there was no evidence of any
nuisance arising from it.
The sanitary authority for Deptford have supplemented the powers which they possess under the
Public Health (London) Act, 1891, by making by-laws with respect to—
(1.) Particular nuisances (under section 16, Public Health (London) Act, 1891).
(2.) The cleansing of cisterns (under section 50, Public Health (London) Act, 1891).