London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1902
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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| Metropolitan borough. | Number of sanitary inspectors. | Census, 1901. | Duties of sanitary inspectors. | Assistants. | Clerical staft | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ► Inhabited houses. • | Total tenements. | Tenements under 5 rooms. | Overcrowded tenements. | Population. | Population in tenements under 5 rooms. | Population in overcrowded tenements. | Average per sanitary inspector. | ||||||||||||
| Males. | Females | Inhabited houses. | Tenements. | Tenements under 5 rooms. | Overcrowded tenements. | Population. | Population in tenements under 5 rooms. | Population in overcrowded tenements. | |||||||||||
| Lambeth • | 12 | l | 41,511 | 70,887 | 44,495 | 6,548 | 301,895 | 153,184 | 36,904 | 3,193 | 5,453 | 3,423 • | 504 | 23,223 | 11,783 | 2,839 | Twelve have each an allotted district, in which they are concerned with all duties arising under the Public Health and Factory and Workshop Acts. One of these whose district is small "also deals with smoke nuisances, and carries out duties under the Food and Drugs Act assisted by deputy. They supervise the execution of drainage works in both new and old houses. One (female) carries out duties under the Factory and Workshop Act, inspects underground conveniences, and performs duties of a general character. | (à) 10 disinfect-ing assistants. (á) 2 mortuary keepers and a deputy. (c) 1 temporary caretaker of shelter (female). | 3 |
| Lewisham | 8 | - | 22,750 | 27,701 | 8,561 | 535 | 127,495 | 28,928 | 3,416 | 2,844 | 3,463 | 1,070 | 67 | 15,937 | 3,616 | 427 | Five have each an assigned district in which they carry out general sanitary duties. One is engaged on duties arising under the Factory and Workshop Act. Two are engaged in house-to-house inspection. | (à) 8 disinfecting assistants. (á) 2 drain-testing assistants. | 2 |
| Padding ton | 10 | 2 | 17,684 | 33,661 | 21,815 | 3,404 | 143,976 | 73,232 | 19,531 | 1,474 | 2,805 • | 1,818 | 284 | 11,998 | 6,103 | 1,628 | Six each supervise a district, performing all duties under the Public Health (London) Act; they take charge of drainage works in existing buildings, and attend to notified cases of infectious disease. (N.B.—Drainage works in new buildings under direction of surveyor.) One has supervision of workshops and work-places, and has generally the enforcement of the Factory and Workshop Act. Two attend to houses let in lodgings, and the enforcement of by-laws under section 94, Public Health (London) Act, 1891. One has to watch food supplies, and inspect slaughterhouses, cowsheds, dairies, refreshment-houses, etc. Ice-cream inspection also falls to him. Two (female) inspect all workplaces where women are employed, and make inquiries into infectious disease not scheduled for notification. | (a) Inspector under the Food and Drugs Act. | 4 |
| Poplar | 7 | 1 | 22,613 | 35,787 | 26,216 | 4,414 | 168,822 | 105,497 | 27,700 | 2,827 | 4,473 | 3,277 | 552 | 21,103 | 13,187 | 3,462 | Seven have each an assigned district in which they carry out duties under the Public Health, Metropolis Management, Factory and Workshop, Food and Drugs, and Canal Boats Acts. There is also an assistant inspector (temporary officer since October, 1901) for measuring up rooms of houses let in lodgings, making night visits, etc. One (female) inspects all places where female labour is employed. | (à) 4 disinfecting assistants. (á) 5 labourers (who assist inspectors). | 4 and 1 temporary. t |
| St. Marylebone | 7 | 1 | 13,536 | 31,623 | 22,947 | 5,180 | 133,301 | 74,153 | 28,147 | 1,692 | 3,953 | 2,868 | 647 | 16,663 | 9,269 | 3,518 | Five have each an allotted district in which they are concerned with all duties arising under the Public Health and Food and Drugs Acts, etc. They supervise all drainage work, both as regards new premises and reconstructipn. One is concerned with duties arising under the Factory and Workshop Act and deals with smoke nuisance | (à) 3 disinfecting assistants. (á) Mortuary keeper. (c) Caretaker of shelter (female) | 2 and 1 messenger. |
| One (female) is concerned with duties arising under the Factory and Workshop Act. One (temporary) acts as dust inspector. | |||||||||||||||||||
| St. Pancras | 15 | 1 | 23,715 | 57,045 | 45,023 | 10,158 | 235,317 | 155,790 | 56,423 | 1,482 | 3,565 | 2.814 # | 635 | 14,707 | 9,737 | 3,526 | Eight inspectors have each an assigned district in which they deal with infectious diseases, complaints, drainage and nuisances generally. Two are inspectors of food and food-places, carry out the Food and Drugs Act and the by-laws regulating slaughterhouses and dairies. Two perform duties under the Factory and Workshop Act. Of these two, one (male) also deals with bakehouses and one (female) deals with outworkers' lists, domestic workshops, laundries and day-schools. Three deal with tenement houses, making inquiry as to occupation, measuring them for registration purposes; inspecting them when registered and also deal with the inspection and re-inspection of underground dwellings. One is engaged in inspecting food, slaughterhouses, cowhouses and bakehouses, | (à) 3 disinfecting assistants and 1 general assistant (á) Caretaker of mortuaries and coroner's court and 1 temporary shelter attendant (wife of caretaker) | 7 and 1 temporary clerk and 1 messenger. > |
| Shoreditch | 6 | - | 12,743 | 27,031 | 22,940 | 6,269 | 118,637 | 89,580 | 35,529 | 2,124 | 4,505 | 3,823 | 1,045 | 19,773 | 14,930 | 5,921 | One is concerned with duties under the Public Health and Factory and Workshop Acts, and generally superintends and assists other inspectors. Also attends to the registration of houses let in lodgings. Five have each an allotted district in which they perform duties arising under the Public Health and Factory and Workshop Acts, etc., and one of these inspectors is also concerned with carrying out duties arising under the Food and Drugs Act and smoke nuisances. The inspectors have supervision of drainage work both in new premises and existing houses and they also test drains. All inspectors, except the chief inspector, take food and drug samples in rotation on Saturday nights and Sundays. | (a) 1 general assistant. (b) 1 disinfector and 2 assistants. (c) 1 mortuary keeper. (d) Caretaker (female) of shelter. | 3 |
* Includes a temporary inspector.
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