London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

London County Council 1895

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

This page requires JavaScript

70
Limehouse.—Disinfection is performed by the vestry's officials, and a steam disinfector is to be
provided.
Mile-end Old-town.—The medical officer of health reports that he hopes before long an efficient
steam apparatus will be in use in the district: the chief difficulty is that of finding a suitable site.
Poplar.—This district has now a steam disinfector.
St. George, Southward.—The vestry have now entered into a contract with the authorities at
Guy's Hospital for the use of their incinerator, in order that all articles that cannot be properly
disinfected may be burnt; hitherto they had used the furnace of the steam disinfector, which was an
unsatisfactory arrangement.
Battersea.—The vestry have provided for the disinfection of conveyances free of charge, and a
notice was issued to cabmen and conductors of omnibuses and tramway cars warning them not to
convey persons suffering from infectious disease.
Wandsworth (Clapham).—It has been decided to provide a disinfecting station, but no progress
can be made until a suitable site is found; at present the work is done by a contractor. ( Wandsworth).—
The work has been carried out by a contractor to the satisfaction of the medical officer of health.
Lee.—The disinfection for the districts of Lee and Eltham is done by the Plumstead Vestry,
who have a steam disinfecting apparatus.
Accommodation for Temporary Shelter.
In the same appendix (II.) will be found an account of the shelters provided in the several
districts for the accommodation of persons who are obliged to leave their homes during the
disinfection of their rooms.
The provision of shelters is referred to by the medical officers of health of the following
districts—
Paddington.—A "family shelter" was opened in September, 1894, for the reception of persons
while their rooms are being disinfected. It consists of an ordinary six-roomed cottage, fitted with a
bath and furnished with such things as are absolutely necessary. It has proved useful during the
year.
Kensington.—The medical officer of health reports that the matter which was referred to the
sanitary committee in 1893 "is still under consideration," and he points out the extreme difficulty of
disinfecting rooms when the people occupying them have nowhere to go during the period of disinfection.
He shows also that there were 101 cases of infectious disease in families occupying a single room.
Fidham.—" No shelter has yet been provided by the vestry," and the medical officer of health
advises the matter should be considered when dealing with the scheme for a dust destructor and
disinfecting station.
St. George, Hanover-square.—The shelter has been occupied once during the year.
Westminster.—The number of families removed to the vestry's " reception rooms " amounted to
139 during the year, or nearly six times as many as in 1894.
St. Pancras.—The shelter, which has been open two years, afforded accommodation during 1895
for 14 families, consisting of 48 persons.
Islington.—During the year the shelter has only been occupied a few times, but as its usefulness
becomes more widely known it will be more generally in demand.
Hackney.—Accommodation was provided for one family while their home was being disinfected.
Strand.—The shelter was made use of by 5 families comprising 15 persons, 9 were sheltered
during the day only, 6 during the night also.
Holborn.-—A suitable house could not be found in the district, but as the Clerkenwell Vestry
had furnished its shelter, arrangements were made for the joint use of this building. The contract,
however, did not come into force until March, 1896.
City.—During the year 28 families, comprising 99 persons, were provided with lodging and
food, of these, 12 families had each been occupying only one room.
Shoreditch.—The shelter provided by the vestry was used on six occasions, 25 persons being
thus accommodated.
St. George-in-the-East.—The shelter has been kept in a cleanly condition and in a proper state
of repair; it has been used four times during the year.
St. George, Southwark.—An excellent site has been acquired, and on this ground it has been
arranged to erect an eight-roomed house with baths and all necessary appliances.
St. Olave.—The shelter has been used 18 times, 69 persons being thus accommodated, all of
whom were provided with sleeping accommodation. In August, as additional room was required, a
second cottage was supplied with bedsteads and bedding, and on one occasion was also used as an
isolation hospital.
Rotherhithe.—Protests having been made against the use of the house selected early in 1895
for the purposes of a temporary shelter, the vestry were compelled to seek another house. After
great delay had taken place, in March, 1896, they discovered one that could be adapted, and they
instructed the surveyor to proceed with the necessary works.
Wandsivorth (Putney).—The shelter at the parish wharf has not been used during the year.
Greenwich.—During the year 11 families occupied the shelter, 2 from Deptford and 9 from
Greenwich districts.
Plumstead.-— The " health refuge" was used on two occasions by families comprising 10 persons.
The building was examined by the medical officer of health and necessary repairs executed.
Hospital provision for infectious disease.
The report of the Statistical Committee of the Metropolitan Asylums Board for the year 1895
states that the managers in the middle of the year found their available accommodation exhausted and
were compelled to restrict the admissions of scarlet fever and diphtheria to the most urgent cases. The
outbreak of small-pox in July prevented the managers from utilizing the Gore Farm hospital for fever
cases and contributed to this insufficiency of accommodation.