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Guardians, and 170 from dwellings of parishioners, including 18 bodies of persons who had died from
infectious disease. The medical officer of health of St. Luke writes that on several occasions he has
brought to the notice of the Public Health Committee of the vestry the need for increased accommodation
at the mortuary, especially for cases of infectious disease, a need mentioned by Dr. Young in his
report on the district. The recommendation was rejected by the Committee on the ground of expense.
The medical officer of health states that the absence of this accommodation is a real defect calling for
remedy. During the year 264 bodies were received into the mortuary. In the City mortuary 131
bodies were received pending interment. The medical officer of health of Shoreditch says " there is an
increasing dispositon on the part of the people to make use of the mortuary ; " 421 bodies were received
into it in 1807 as compared with 404 during the previous year; by order of the sanitary authority
8 bodies of persons dying from infectious disease were removed there. In Bethnal-green
422 bodies were received in the mortuary. In Whitechapel 171 bodies were deposited in the mortuary,
of these 20 were " for purposes of interment." The medical officer of health of St. Georgein-the-East
states that he reported to the vestry on the necessity for special regulations
relating to the reception at and removal of bodies from the mortuary, and these were
accordingly made and approved; during the year 168 bodies were removed to the
general mortuary and 1 body to that for infectious cases. In Limehouse 179 bodies
were deposited in the mortuary, 9 in that part for infectious cases. In Mile-end Old-town
the number of bodies brought to the mortuary was 189, only one of which was deposited in that
part set aside for infectious cases. The question of provision of a mortuary for the district of St.
Saviour, Southwark, is still under consideration. A site was obtained which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners
were willing to sell to the district board, but the conditions imposed by them still
required to be approved by the Board. In St. George, Southwark, 179 bodies were removed to the
mortuary, this includes bodies brought from the workhouse. During the year 144 bodies were
received into the Newington mortuary, of these 6 were bodies of persons dying from infectious disease.
The medical officer of health of St. Olave writes that a satisfactory site for a new mortuary has not
yet been found; 32 bodies were removed during the year into the old mortuary, which had been
thoroughly repaired. In Bermondsey 47 bodies were removed to the mortuary, 10 of persons dying
from infectious disease, which were placed in the chamber set apart for that purpose. In Rotherhithe
only 3 bodies were removed to the mortuary. The medical officer of health of Lambeth writes
that there are now two mortuaries in the district, and that the vestry have decided that one is
needed for Norwood, though there is some difficulty in finding a suitable site. The new mortuary
near Loughborough-junction was opened during the year. The number of bodies received into the two
mortuaries was 400. The medical officer of health of Battersea reports that 289 bodies were received into
the mortuary during the year, that the accommodation is becoming somewhat inadequate for the needs
of the parish, and that it is proposed to provide a new mortuary with coroner's court. If the plans of
the surveyor are carried out, the building will be " far in advance of the majority of metropolitan
mortuaries." The difficulty is, however, in deciding as to the most suitable site. From the reports
on parishes in the Wandsworth district, it appears that in Streatham 36 bodies were received
into the mortuary, and in Tooting 4 bodies were removed to the mortuary. In Camberwell
280 bodies were removed to the mortuary. The report of the parish of Deptford in Greenwich
district shows that one body was removed to the mortuary after death from infectious disease.
In Woolwich 69 bodies were received into the mortuary. In Plumstead the mortuary was used
for 31 bodies, 2 of which were bodies of persons dying from infectious disease. The medical
officer of health reports that " the new mortuary is still in abeyance, though much required; the
existing one offers very inadequate accommodation, and a better-appointed building would probably
be more used and found a great convenience in many cases to persons with inadequate house
accommodation."
Water Supply.
The report of the water examiner appointed under the Metropolis Water Act, 1871, contains the
statement that, " the character of the seasons during the year 1897, was on the whole, favourable for the
operations of the companies which obtain their supplies from the rivers Thames and Lee. The Thames
water was in good condition during 308 days, moderately discoloured and turbid during 35 days, and
exceptionally muddy and turbid on 22 days of the year." He further points out "the fact that the impurity
of the water in the rivers is so largely increased during periods of flood renders it of great importance that
there should be sufficient provision of subsidence and storage reservoirs to enable the necessary daily
supplies to be delivered during such periods, while keeping the intakes closed. Such provision is
essential for securing uniformly effective filtration. The area of the available filters should also be
sufficiently large to enable the necessary supply to be collected when the passage of the water through
the material is sufficiently slow to effectively filter the worst water which circumstances may render it
necessary to deal with."
Referring to the provision of storage reservoirs, Major-General Scott states that " the river
deriving companies with one exception are actively engaged in constructing, or in making arrangements
for the construction of, additional storage reservoirs. The Chelsea Company, which formerly held a
prominent position in this respect, has lost ground to a considerable extent, and unless measures of a
similar nature are adopted, this company, within the next few years, will find itself surpassed as regards
the provision of storage reservoirs by all the other companies deriving their supplies from the Thames
and the Lee. It is, in fact, necessary that, for the purpose of subsidence, the storage reservoirs should
be capable of containing a quantity of water equal to twenty days' average supply instead of nine days
as at present."