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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| Houses let in lodgings. | Duties of sanitary inspectors. | Assistants. | Clericalstaff. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of houses let in lodgings on the register. | No of times a year these houses are inspected. | |||
| 851 | Frequently (5,493 visits during 1903.) | 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 enquiries into infectious disease not scheduled for notification. | (a) inspector under the Food and Drugs Act. | 4 |
| (b) mortuary keeper. | ||||
| (c) caretaker and wife at shelter. | ||||
| (d) 6 navvies (employed for opening defective drains, etc.). | ||||
| (e) 1 disinfecting assistant. | ||||
| 600 | The betterclass once every year, and the poorer class eight and nine times. | 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. | (a) 4 disinfecting assistants. | 4 and 1 temporary. |
| (b) 5 labourers (who assist inspectors). | ||||
| (c) 1 female attendant at the Glaucus - street shelter. | ||||
| 784 | As often as possible. | 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 reconstruction. One is concerned with duties arising under the Factory and Workshop Act and deals with smoke nuisances. One (female) is concerned with duties arising under the Factory and Workshop Act. One (temporary) acts as dust inspector. | (à) 3 disinfecting assistants. (b) mortuary keeper. (c) caretaker of shelter (female) | 2 and 1 messenger. |
| 1,838 | 2,307 inspections, and 5,535 re-in-spections after notices served | 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 inspectors, 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 special inspector supervises the disinfectors and attendants at the contact-shelter and at the personal cleansing station, inquiries into contact notifications, makes smoke observations, inspects effluvia businesses and offensive trade premises, and instructs workmen, temporarily employed by the department, to open and examine drains, etc. | (a) 3 disinfecting assistants and 1 general assistant | 1 chief clerk, 6 assistant clerks, 1 temporary clerk and 1 messenger. |
| (b) caretaker of mortuaries and coroner's court and 1 contact shelter attendant. | ||||
| 233 | If found on inspection to be kept in a satisfactory sanitary condition once a year only. If not, the houses are inspected as often as may be necessary to secure improvement. Some houses have required frequent visits at short intervals. | 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. Each of the five other inspectors has an allotted district in which he performs the various duties arising under the Public Health and Factory and Workshop Acts, including the abatement of smoke nuisances, the supervision of drainage work, both in new and existing houses, and the testing of drains. Each inspector is required to take four samples per fortnight under theFood and Drugs Act, and also to take turns of duty in the street markets on Saturdaysand Sundays with a view to taking samples and watching the qualities of the food stuff exposed for sale.The inspectors are not restricted to their own districts for taking samples under the Food and Drugs Act. | (a) 1 general assistant. | 3 |
| (b) 1 disinfector and 2 assistants. | ||||
| (c) 1 mortuary keeper. | ||||
| (d) caretaker (female) of shelter | ||||