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The sanitary authority have not a complete list of the workshops in the district. During the
inquiry 91 of these premises were visited, and for the most part they were satisfactory, but defective
conditions, or the need for cleansing were noted as regards 43, while the water-closet accommodation
for the number of workers was insufficient in two instances. No effectual attempt has been made to
carry out the section of the Factory and Workshop Act relating to outworkers.
Of the 35 bakehouses in St. Luke 30 were inspected and found to be maintained in a satisfactory
condition, except in the case of 3, which were in need of some slight repairs. The means of
light and ventilation are unsatisfactory in the case of 8, and 16 of the bakehouses visited are situated
underground. The cowsheds, milkshops and slaughterhouses were found at the date of inspection in
compliance with the regulations. One slaughterhouse, although satisfactory in other respects, is open
to objection, owing to the situation of a water-closet in relation to it, and at one cowshed the dung and
grain pits communicate with the shed when the doors of the pits are open. There are two registered
tripe-boiling premises in St. Luke, one of these (as to which complaint was made to me during the
inspection) is not at present in use. The second is undergoing alterations with a view to improvement.
The water supply of the district is furnished by the New River Company, and a constant supply
is provided throughout. A few houses obtain their water from the rising main, but in the majority of
cases storage cisterns exist. These cisterns are in nearly all houses situated in the back yard, and
in many instances they are not provided with adequate covers, and from inquiries which I made of
householders it does not appear that the by-law as to periodical cleansing is carried out.
The scavenging of the streets and the collection and removal of house refuse is carried out by
the sanitary authority. As regards the collection of house refuse, the dustmen call at all houses once
in each week in order to remove the contents of the ashpit, but inquiries made of householders during
the inspection appear to show that collection depends to some extent upon whether the householder
considers there is or is not sufficient accumulation for removal at the time that the dustmen call, the
result being that in some cases the refuse, only small in amount and probably filling only part of the
receptacle, is allowed to remain on the premises till the next week. At the time of my visit to two
houses in one street, I found that the dustmen had just made their weekly call, but had been told
there was no refuse for collection; but upon examining the dust-bins it was found that each contained
refuse which had collected since removal a week previously. In the main thoroughfares the collection
of refuse is made daily. The refuse at the present time is taken to a wharf on the City-road basin of
the Regent's-canal and thence removed by barge, but this method of disposal will shortly cease on the
completion of the dust-destructor which is being erected for the use of the district.
For the disinfection of articles of clothing and bedding after the occurrence of cases of infectious
disease in the families of residents in the district, the vestry has recently provided a steam disinfecting
oven. This is situated at the mortuary buildings, and is in charge of and worked by the caretaker of
the mortuary and coroner's court. Rooms in which cases of infectious disease have occurred are
fumigated with sulphur by an assistant.
The shelter for the use of persons during the time that their room or rooms are undergoing
disinfection is not yet ready for use. It is proposed to utilize for this purpose six rooms on the top
floor of the building which is being erected in connection with the vestry's new wharf and dust
destructor buildings. These rooms are over, and approached by the same staircase as, the rooms to be
occupied by the wharf superintendent. It is not proposed to fit up a bath-room in connection with
the shelter.
A mortuary has been provided in connection with the coroner's court near Whitecross-street.
It contains one mortuary chamber and a post-mortem room. There is no separate mortuary chamber
for the bodies of persons dying of infectious complaints.
The sanitary authority for the district is the Vestry of St. Luke. For the purpose of carrying
out the duties relating to the sanitary condition of the district the vestry has appointed the followiug
officers—a medical officer of health, two sanitary inspectors, and a clerk for the sanitary department.
The medical officer of health is not allowed to engage in the practice of his profession. He
controls and supervises the work of the public health department and attends daily during certain
hours in the morning and afternoon at the offices of the vestry in the City-road.
Each inspector has a part of the district allotted to him, and in this part he carries out all
duties arising under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and under the Food and Drugs Act. As
regards, however, the sections of the former Act relating to the seizure of food unfit for human
consumption, the existence of a public street market in Whitecross-street throws additional duties in
this respect on the sanitary authority, and in order that inspection of the market may be made twice
in each day the duty is equally borne by the two inspectors. In addition to these Acts the vestry is
an inspecting authority under the Canal Boats Act, and one of the inspectors has been appointed
under the Act for the purpose of visiting boats in the City-road basin, and is expected to visit a
certain number during each month, though up to the present time it has not been possible to inspect
this number of boats in the period owing to the inspector's time being engaged in other duties. The
register of these inspections is kept by the sanitary inspector. Office accommodation for the inspectors
is provided at the Vestry Hall, and they attend there daily in the morning in order to keep appointments
and to give information to builders, complainants, and others, and in the latter part of the
afternoon to consult the medical officer and to fill up their diaries, in which are recorded the result of
inspections made during the day time. These diaries are supervised by the medical officer of health,
and are presented at each meeting of the committee.
The clerk is occupied entirely with duties arising out of the work of the departmeut. He
keeps the complaint and report book and prepares the intimation and statutory notices from notes
supplied by the inspectors. He also fills up the certificates forwarded to the School Board and to the
Metropolitan Asylums Board relating to cases of infectious diseases notified to the medical officer
of health, and carries out any other clerical duties of the department.