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Staff of the Public Health Department.— The staff, at the time of this inquiry, appointed for
carrying out the duties of the sanitary authority under the Public Health and other allied Acts
was as follows—
A medical officer of health;
Nine sanitary inspectors;
Two clerks and one temporary clerk;
Two disinfecting assistants, and an engineer at the wharf whose time is partly
engaged in the work of steam disinfection;
A caretaker and his wife at the coroner's court and mortuary.
In addition there is a drainage inspector and assistant drainage inspector in the Surveyor's
department.
The following is an account of the apportionment of work among these officers—
One inspector is entirely concerned in making a house to house inspection of the whole
district, except that he is occasionally made use of for some special duty which may arise, or in
acting for one of the other inspectors who may be away. A complete house to house inspection
has been made, and is now being carried out for the second time. This inspection has taken
about six years to complete. The inspector, when he discovers any defects which require dealing
with, serves an intimation notice, but has no further concern with the matter, due compliance with
the requirements being then attended to by the inspector of the sub-district in which the premises
are situated. This officer also reports houses occupied by members of more than one family, and
which, being within the limit, are registrable under the by-laws as to houses let in lodgings.
Four of the inspectors have each been allotted a sub-district, and in these they are concerned
in duties arising out of the work of the house to house inspector, with complaints and the making
out of the necessary notices, with re-inspection to see that requirements are carried out, and with
attendance at court if proceedings are instituted. They also make house to house inspection, not
systematically, but when not otherwise busy. Further, they visit all premises at which cases of
notifiable disease has occurred, test the drains, and supervise the disinfection of rooms by the
disinfecting assistants. A sixth inspector is occupied in the systematic inspection of houses let in
lodgings, obtaining particulars as to occupation, and taking measurements of rooms. To the
seventh inspector is allotted the duty of systematic inspection of factories, workshops, bakehouses,
and houses where outworkers live.
The eighth inspector visits periodically the cowshed, dairies, milkshops, and slaughterhouses,
and is concerned with keeping observation on chimney shafts with a view to the prevention
of smoke nuisance. The ninth inspector daily supervises the collection of house refuse by the men
employed by the borough council for this purpose. These men form part of the surveyor's department.
He also obtains samples for analysis under the Food and Drugs Act, but his time is chiefly
occupied in connection with dust collection. This officer is partly under the supervision of the
surveyor; the others are under the control and supervision of the medical officer of health.
The sanitary inspectors make out the preliminary notices, and each keeps a diary in which
is set out the conditions found in premises visited. The notices are either sent by post or
personally delivered by the inspectors. A report book for each inspector, which is a copy
of the preliminary notices, is kept by the clerical staff. Both these books are presented to committee,
and if any further action is needed as regards any case, instructions are given for the serving
of a statutory notice. These notices are filled out by the inspectors and delivered by them or
sent by post.
The disinfecting assistants carry out the work of disinfecting rooms and articles of clothing,
having the assistance, as regards the latter, of an engineer to get up steam for the disinfecting
apparatus.
The two drainage inspectors in the surveyor's department, referred to above, supervise the
carrying out of drainage works in all premises, both new and old, though as regards the latter the
sanitary inspectors, in the course of their re-inspections, also have concern in noting how the
work is progressing, and finally in satisfying themselves that the requirements of their notices
have been carried out.
Conclusions.—It will be well before setting out the conclusions, which the facts given in
the foregoing part of the report indicate, to refer briefly to the sanitary administration and the
changes which have taken place in the staff of the public health department in recent years.
Until March, 1886, Hammersmith formed part of the district under the Fulham District
Board of Works. By the passing of the Metropolis Local Management Amendment Act, 1885,
this Boarcl was dissolved, the area under their jurisdiction was divided into the two districts
of Fulham and Hammersmith, and the vestry of Hammersmith was incorporated and was vested
with the powers of a local authority. For the purpose of the sanitary administration of the district,
the newly constituted vestry appointed a medical officer of health, four sanitary inspectors and
one inspector to supervise the work of house refuse collection and to obtain samples for analysis
under the Food and Drugs Act.
The medical officer of health, in his first annual report to the sanitary authority, namely,
for the year 1886-87, stated that the vestry decided to register two houses under the regulations
then in force as to houses let in lodgings, but owing to the fact that alteration in the regulations
was under consideration of a committee, no house was registered. He expressed the opinion
that the regulations should be properly enforced, that the majority of the houses of the poor
occupied by more than one family should be registered and that special inspectors should be
appointed for the purpose, as it was impossible for the existing staff, with the numerous duties
which had to be performed, to properly enforce the regulations. No increase in the staff was
made. In the annual reports for each of the two following years, namely, 1887-8 and 1888-9,
it is stated that no house was registered under the regulations, and in that for 1890-91 that it