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 inspections. | Assistants. | Clericalstaff. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of houses let in lodgings on the register. | No of times a year these houses are inspected. | |||
| 1,100 | Four. | One chief male inspector supervises generally the work of the other male inspectors. One carries out the Adulteration Acts, inspection of bakehouses, slaughterhouses, dairies, milkshops and noxious trade premises. Ten have each an assigned district, in which they are concerned with duties under the Public Health Act, and the inspection of factories and workshops. They supervise all drainage work in old houses and in new premises drainage work above the ground level. One has the wharves and warehouses on the river bank and is engaged with the inspection of food stuffs. Two (female) visit houses let in lodgings. One (chief female) visits factories and workshops employing females and supervises generally the other female inspectors. | 6 | |
| (b) 2 mortuary keepers, and a superintendent and his wife at reception house. The superintendent is concerned with infectious diseases. | ||||
| (c) 1 assistant drain tester. | ||||
| 2,649 | Some of the best are only visited once or twice a year. Others are visited practically every month. | Fifteen have each an allotted district, and are concerned with duties arising under the Public Health, Factory and Workshop and Food and Drugs Acts. These inspectors supervise the construction of drainage work in old as well as new houses as far as the front wall of the house. Two are concerned with houses let in lodgings. One inspects wharves and food landed at such premises. | (a) 15 disinfecting and general assistants. | 7 |
| 180 | Twice. | The three inspectors have each an assigned district in which they carry out general sanitary duties. | (a) 1 disinfecting assistant. | 1 |
| 200 | Twice and more frequently if any special reason. | Nine have each an assigned district in which they carry out duties under the Public Health Act, including all by-laws and repair of drains and sanitary fittings. They also take samples under the Food and Drugs Act if required. One carries out duties under the Food and Drugs Act over the whole borough, inspects meat, and performs special duties under the Public Health Act as required. One (female) is chiefly occupied in laundries and workshops which employ female labour. | (a) 10 disinfecting assistants. | 4 |
| (b) 3 mortuary keepers. | ||||
| *2,004 | Some weekly, others monthly, twice a year or once a year | Eight district inspectors. Two perform duties under the Food and Drugs Act, abatement of smoke nuisances, inspection of street markets, slaughterhouses, offensive trades, cowhouses, and inspection of food generally. Two (female) are engaged in the inspection of workshops, workplaces, etc., where female labour is employed. | (a) 9 disinfecting assistants. | 4 and 1 messenger and clerical assistant. |
| (b) 2 mortuary keepers. | ||||
| 164 | Mostly four times. | One acts as chief inspector, supervises generally, inspects premises concerning which complaints have been received, and is concerned with special drainage matters and combined drains, and the inspection of new buildings, etc. One (female) visits workshops and workplaces, etc. where females are employed. Eight have each an assigned district in which they perform duties arising under the Public Health Act. Additional duties are undertaken by certain of these inspectors. They include duties under the Food and Drugs Act, the inspection of factories and workshops, and the inspection of food in Woolwich-market and principal shops, registered houses let in lodgings, cowhouses, slaughterhouses, etc. | (a) 3 disinfecting assistants. | 3 |
| (c) 1 mortuary keeper. | ||||
| 366 | Frequently. | Two are concerned with notified infectious diseases. One is specially engaged in carrying out the provisions of the Food | 3 | |
| and Drugs Act. Eight are concerned with duties arising under the Public Health Act. One of these (female) also visits workplaces where females are employed. | (b) 1 mortuary keeper. | |||
| 20,632 | Eight inspectors are engaged in meat inspection. | |||
* This number was shown in a return published by the Council in January, 1903. and is the most recent information on this point received from the
medical officer of health of Westminster.