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

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London County Council 1898

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

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The assistant inspectors are engaged in obtaining samples under the Food and Drugs Act, and
are also concerned with the inspection of mews, and attending to nuisances in streets. They also have
night duties in reference to brothels.
The disinfecting assistant carries out the work involved in fumigating rooms, and sees to the
removal by the contractor of articles needing disinfection. He goes with them to the disinfecting station
and sees them weighed. In the closing of rooms, he is assisted voluntarily by the man employed by the
contractor to remove articles. It is not part of the disinfecting assistant's duty to open the room on the
completion of fumigation. This is done by the householder.
The sanitary inspectors are under the direction and supervision of the medical officer of health.
Scavenging of dustbins and streets.—For the scavenging of dustbins there are, under the surveyor,
two dust inspectors or foremen, whose duty it is to supervise this work, and there is also a foreman who
superintends the cleansing of roads by men employed by the vestry.

Hammersmith—population 1896, 104,199. A medical officer of health (part time appointment, also allowed to engage in consulting medical work). £500 per annum. Half repayable by County Council. Seven sanitary inspectors—

1.W. B£140, rising to £150.Ilalf repayable by County Council.
2.R. Cyy yy yyyy yy yy
3.C. F. W.yy yy yyyy yy yy
4.J. C.yy yy yyyy yy yy
5.C. G.yy yy yyyy yy yy
6.H. 0.>> yy yyyy yy yy
7.T. S.£120, rising to £150.yy yy yy

A ssistants.—Two disinfecting assistants (at present).
A mortuary keeper (who will be resident at the new mortuary buildings).
Two drainage inspectors.
One or two labourers from surveyor's department, who do the cleansing of rooms in
connection with disinfection.
Clerical staff.—Two clerks are engaged solely in duties arising out of the work of the department.
Duties.—The first four sanitary inspectors on the above list have each a district, and in it they
are concerned with duties under the Public Health Act, including infectious diseases. The fifth on the
list is entirely engaged in a systematic house-to-house inspection of the whole district, and noting their
condition, which is then recorded in a register kept for the purpose. If there be any defects in a house,
the remedying of the conditions passes under the inspector in whose district the premises are situated.
Some 4,092 houses were thus visited during the twelve months ending 1896. The sixth inspector on the
list is employed in duties arising under the Food and Drugs Act and in seeing that dustbins are
properly cleanscd. The seventh on the list is concerned with factories and workshops.
The disinfecting assistants are at present partly engaged by the surveyor in work at the wharf,
but in view of the early use of the newly-erected apparatus, the disinfecting staff is now under
consideration.
The sanitary inspectors are under the control and supervision of the medical officer of health.
Scavenging of streets.—In addition to this staff, there are under the surveyor three road foremen
(two for day and one for night work) who attend to the scavenging and repairing of roads.

Fulham—population 1896, 113,781. A medical officer of health (whole time appointment). £500 per annum. Half repayable by County Council.

Five sanitary inspectors—
1.C. B. J.£140 per annumHalf repayable by County Council.
2.W. H. G.£140,, ,, ,,
3.F. M.£120,, ,, ,,
4.C. B. L.£120,, ,, ,,
5.S. J. C.£120,, ,, ,,

Assistants.—One drainage inspector.
Two disinfectors.
The mortuary keeper.
Clerical staff.—One clerk.
Duties.—Each sanitary inspector is allotted a district in which he performs all duties arising
under the Public Health Act, the Factory and Workshop Act, and the Food and Drugs Act.
The drainage inspector is concerned with the supervision of the reconstruction of drains in cases
where notices have been served. Drainage of new houses is controlled by the surveyor.
The disinfectors are employed in room disinfection.
The mortuary keeper looks after the mortuary, post-mortem room and the coroner's court. He
is non-resident, but lives close to the mortuary.
The sanitary staff is under the immediate control and supervision of the medical officer of health.
Scavenging of dustbins and of roads.—In addition to the above staff there are in connection
with the collection of house refuse and the scavenging of roads, the following officers under the
surveyor—
One dust inspector, whose duty is to see that dustbins are properly emptied.
One road foreman who supervises road cleaning, and a superintendent who has charge of
all men in the works department under the surveyor.