View report page

79
to be inexpedient." The district of Bermondsey is still without a shelter, and during the year 78
families, consisting of 116 adults and 157 children, were turned out of their homes so that disinfection
could be carried out. In Lambeth the refuge was used but once, but the medical officer of
health states that " the situation of the present refuge prevents its use becoming popular." A new
refuge is about to be erected, which will doubtless be more used. The shelters provided by the Strand
and Greenwich district boards and the Vestries of St. George-in-the-East and Plumstead were not used
during the year.
The Cleansing of Persons Act.
A statement in the annual report of the medical officer of health of St. Pancras shows that
this Act has been put in force in but few of the districts; in a few cases the poor law authority
has agreed to deal with any applications received, or the sanitary authority has decided that the bath
at their shelter shall be utilised, but otherwise no action has been taken. Only in Marylebone, where
special provision under this Act has been made, has there jbeen any real demand for baths and other
facilities for cleansing. The medical officer of health of that district states that during nine months
of the year the baths have been in full activity, 3,306 persons having availed themselves of the
privilege afforded. Plans are being prepared for a better structure, when arrangsments will also be
made for women to have separate baths ; at present they wait until the men have finished. The
medical officer of health of Hackney considers that if the Act is to be useful "it should be compulsory
both on the part of the local authority and on the part of those persons whom the Act is intended
to benefit." The experience gained in St. Marylebone is distinctly encouraging, and probably the
success obtained in this district is dependent upon the character of the provision which has been made.
Mortuaries.
The provision of mortuaries in the London districts was the subject of a report by Dr. Young
during 1898 (see Appendix V.). Dr. Young found that in twenty-two districts the mortuaries
might be regarded as satisfactory, and he points out that in five other districts no special provision
had been made for the bodies of persons dying from infectious disease ; that in eight other districts
the accommodation was unsatisfactory or inadequate; but that in all these districts, except two,
better provision was in contemplation. In two other districts, Greenwich and Lee, no provision had
been made by the sanitary authority, but that parish or burial ground mortuaries were used. In two
remaining districts, Lambeth and Wandsworth, satisfactory mortuaries had been provided, but the
extent of the district required the use of other mortuaries, which he did not regard as satisfactory.
The omission of St. Saviour, Southwark, to provide a mortuary led the Council to represent the
circumstances of this district in this respect to the Local Government Board.
The following information is derived from the annual reports of medical officers of health.
In Paddington, the scheme for a new mortuary is still before the vestry. In the Kensington
mortuary, 275 bodies were deposited during the year, 2 by relatives, 54 at the request of undertakers,
198 by order of the coroner, 17 brought in by the police, and 4 on account of death due to infectious
disease. In Hammersmith, the new mortuary was opened in January, 1899, but during 1898 the old
mortuary was in use, and to it were removed 5 bodies of persons who died of infectious disease, 3 for
which no proper accommodation could be found in their homes, and 162 bodies by order of the coroner
or of the police. In Fulham, 176 bodies were removed to the mortuary during the year. In Chelsea,
11 bodies were removed to the mortuary "for sanitary reasons.'' In St. George, Hanover-square,
200 bodies were received into the mortuary, in 11 cases because there was insufficient accommodation
at home. In Westminster, the number of bodies removed to the mortuary was 162, of which 31 were
to await burial. In St. James, Westminster, 16 bodies were received into the mortuary. In Marylebone,
474 bodies were removed to the mortuary, 5 being of persons who had disd from infectious disease.
The number of bodies received in the Hampstead mortuary was 75, an increase of 3 on the previous
year. In St. Pancras, 505 bodies were deposited in the general mortuary and 20 in that for persons
dying of infectious disease. In Islington, 712 bodies were received into the mortuary. In Stoke
Newington, 35 bodies were deposited in the mortuary. In Hackney, 370 bodies were deposited in the
mortuary, 15 to await burial. In St. Giles, 60 bodies, including 4 of non-parishioners, were brought
to the mortuary. In the Strand district, 53 bodies were received into the Strand mortuary, and "18
into the St. Anne's mortuary. In Holborn, 161 bodies were brought into the mortuary. In Clerkenwell,
217 bodies were brought to the mortuary, 8 of persons who had died from infectious disease. In
St. Luke, 265 bodies were received in the mortuary. In the City, 108 bodies were received pending
interment. In Shoreditch, 446 bodies, including 9 of persons dying from infectious diseases, were received
into the mortuary; during the year an additional chamber was erected for the reception of empty
shells formerly stored in the church crypt. The mortuary was also repaired and greatly improved in
appearance. In Bethnal-green, 423 bodies were received at the mortuary, 296 by order of the coroner,
120 at the request of relatives, and 7 for " sanitary reasons." In Whitechapel, 211 bodies were deposited
in the mortuary either for inquest purposes or awaiting burial. In St. George-in-the-East, 118 bodies
were received into the mortuary. In Limehouse, 180 bodies were deposited in the mortuary, 145
by order of the coroner, 24 by the police, and 1 by relatives; 5 bodies were removed on account of
having died from infectious disease. In St. George, Southwark, 204 bodies were removed to the
parish mortuary, including bodies brought from St. George's workhouse. In Newington, 158 bodies
were received into the mortuary. In St. Olave, 26 bodies were removed to the old mortuary. The
medical officer of health reports that " a satisfactory site for the new mortuary has not yet been found."
In Bermondsey, 34 bodies were removed to the mortuary, 7 being deposited in that part for persons
dying from infectious disease. In Lambeth, 495 bodies were received at the two [mortuaries, 31 were
brought by the police, and 5 were of persons who had died from infectious diseases. In Battersea, 294
bodies were received into the old mortuary, the new one not yet having been erected, though a site has