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 1903
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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OFFICER 3.
| Houses let in lodgings. | Duties of sanitary inspectors. | Assistants. | Clerical staff. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of houses let in lodgings in the register. | No of times a year these houses are inspected. | |||
| 121 | Frequently. | The chief inspector supervises generally, inspects in all cases of importance and where statutory proceedings are about to be taken, and is specially concerned with combined drainage. Eight have each an assigned district, in which they are concerned with duties under the Public Health Act. They supervise drainage of new buildings, for which they receive £10 more yearly. One takes samples under the Food and Drugs Acts, and inspects slaughterhouses, butchers' shops, sausage factories, ham and beef shops, etc. One inspects factories, workshops and workplaces. One (female) inspects places employing female labour, and investigates cases of puerperal fever. She also visits the houses of children who are about to be discharged from isolation hospitals after scarlet fever and diphtheria, and inspects houses let in lodgings. One (female) investigates deaths of infants under one year, visits cases of non-notifiable infectious disease, visits children fed from the council's milk depot, and gives instruction to mothers in the feeding and care of infants. In addition to her salary as sanitary inspector she receives £30 per annum from the borough council. | (a) 9 disinfecting assistants. | 5 |
| (c) 1 mortuary keeper and 1 temporary assistant. | ||||
| 217 | Four. | One supervises generally, performs duties arising under Food and Drugs Act in whole parish, takes part in house-to-house inspection, and inspects bakehouses, slaughterhouses, cowhouses and common lodging-houses, offensive trades, factories and workshops, etc. Eight have each an assigned district, in which they are concerned with duties arising under the Public Health, Factory and Workshop, and Food and Drugs Acts. They also supervise drainage work reconstruction. | (a) 4 disinfecting assistants. | 5 |
| (b) 2 mortuary keepers. | ||||
| (c) 3 shelter caretakers (females) | ||||
| 400 (about) | At least once a month. Special cases more often as may be found necessary. | One superintends, and in conjunction with medical officer of health is responsible for the operations of the entire sanitary staff. Six have each an allotted district, in which they are concerned with duties arising under the Public Health Act including the inspection of registered tenement houses. One is concerned with duties under the Factory and Workshop Act, outworkers, etc., the inspection of cowsheds and milkshops, etc. One is concerned with the inspection of food, slaughterhouse and offensive trade premises. One supervises the drainage and enforcement of by-laws during construction of new buildings. (The whole of the salary of this officer is paid by the borough council.) | (a) 1 general assistant. | 5 |
| (b) 4 disinfectors | ||||
| (c) mortuary keeper | ||||
| 300 | Once, and at irregular periods. | One is concerned with smoke nuisances and Food and Drugs Act, and is emergency inspector under all Acts of Parliament relating to public health. Eleven have each an allotted district in which they carry out duties | (a) 1 superintendent and 7 disinfecting assistants. | 5 |
| arising under the Public Health and Factory and Workshop Acts and exceptionally under the Food and Drugs Act. One acts as chief clerk and inspects in emergency cases. One (female) is chiefly concerned with laundries, factories and workshops employing female labour. | (b) 1 mortuary keeper. | |||
| † - | 257 inspections made in 1903. | Two have an allotted district, in which each is concerned with house-to-house inspection, and inspection under the Factory and Workshop Act, and (with assistants) disinfects clothing and bedding, One carries out duties connected with infectious disease and complaints, and obtains samples under the Food and Drugs Act. One (female) is concerned with inspection of workshops and outworkers' homes where female labour is employed. Also special investigations. | (a) mortuary keeper. | None. |
| (b) 2 disinfecting and drain-testing assistants. | ||||
| 122 | Twice. | Five have each an assigned district in which they perform generally the duties of a sanitary inspector. One is charged with the duties under the Dairies and Milkshops order, Factory and Workshop Act, Canal Boats Acts, and the regulations as to slaughterhouses, knackers' yards, offensive businesses, throughout the borough. One is concerned with infectious disease. All inspectors are qualified to act under the Food and Drugs Act. One is engaged with house-to-house inspection. | (a) 2 disinfecting assistants. | None. |
† The borough council are in possession of a register containing a list of 602 houses let in lodgings prepared some 20 years ago by the Vestry of
Chelsea The borough council have not registered any houses since their constitution in 1899.