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
London County Council 1895
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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London County Council.
Public Health Department,
Spring Gardens, S.W.
16th December, 1895.
SANITARY INSPECTORS.
Report of the Medical Officer of Health, submitting a return showing particulars as
to the Sanitary Inspectors in the several districts of the Administrative County of
London.
(Ordered to be printed by tlw Housing of the Working Classes Committee, 5th March, 1896.)
In December, 1894,1 presented to the Public Health and Housing Committee a return showing
the number of sanitary inspectors in the service of the several sanitary authorities in the Administrative
County of London.
Similar returns had been prepared in 1889 and in 1893; the former of these, however, gave no
information as to the number of sanitary inspectors in the City and in Whitechapel.
The return I now present is based upon information received for the most part in November,
1895, but there was delav in receiving information concerning some districts.
The following comparison can be made between the numbers in the four years.
| 1889. | 1893. | 1894. | 1895. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of sanitary inspectors in London, excluding the City and Whitcchapel, and the districts mentioned in Schedule C of the Metropolis Local Management Act | 115 | 173 | 204 | 215 |
| Number of sanitary inspectors in the whole of London, excluding the districts mentioned in Schedule C of the Metropolis Local Management Act | — | 188 | 219 | 231 |
The returns therefore show some increase in the year 1895, an increase which is proportionately
somewhat greater than the increase in population. It is necessary, however, to state that difficulty
has been experienced in ascertaining in each district the number of officers actually employed as
sanitary inspectors, for the reason that men, who in some districts would be regarded merely as
assistants to the sanitary inspectors, are in other districts included as sanitary inspectors themselves.
In some cases, again, temporary officers are included; and with regard to some of these the same
difficulty is experienced. Moreover, in one or two instances it was found that certificated sanitary
inspectors were employed upon duties which are not within those prescribed in the Sanitary Officers'
Order of the Local Government Board. Corrections have, as far as possible, been made for these
circumstances. Taking the figures that are thus obtained, there is in December, 1895, in London, one
inspector to 18,706 inhabitants, the corresponding number in 1894 being one inspector to 19,320.
The number of sanitary inspectors (including temporary officers) and the number of houses and population, to each sanitary inspector, in each district is shown in the following table—
| Number of Sanitary Inspectors. | Average number of houses to each Sanitary Inspector, 1895. | Average number of inhabitants to each Sanitary Inspector, 1895. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent. | Temporary. | Total. | |||
| Kensington | 7 | — | 7 | 3,360 | 24,223 |
| Hammersmith | 6 | — | 6 | 2,521 | 16,528 |
| Fulhara | 4 | — | 4 | 3,921 | 27,012 |
| Paddington | 5 | — | 5 | 3,126 | 24,322 |
| Chelsea | 3 | — | 3 | 4,159 | 32,464 |
| St. George, Hanover-square | 3 | — | 3 | 3,289 | 25,145 |
| Westminster | — | 3 | 1,912 | 17,663 | |
| St. James | 2 | — | 2 | 1,669 | 12,216 |
| St. Marylebone | 6 | — | 6 | 2,596 | 23,542 |
| Hampstead | 4 | — | 4 | 2,601 | 18,651 |
| St. Pancras | 10 | — | 10 | 2,678 | 24,163 |
| Islington | 18 | — | 18 | 2,216 | 18,152 |
| Hackney | 9 | 3 | 12 | 2,517 | 16,927 |
| Stoke Newington | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1,689 | 10,605 |
Sold by Edicard Stanford, 26 and 27, Coclespur-street, Charing-cros3. S. W.
No. 209.—Price 3d..
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