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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63
of any material service. Altogether they at present number 3,412, containing nearly 5,000
rooms, from which it will be seen that work as they may they cannot visit many of these places
more than once, especially if they pay due attention to those workshops which require, and must
have, continued supervision. It will, therefore, be necessary that the Council should consider
how much further they will increase their staff for the purpose of executing their duties under
the Act." Again, Dr. Allan, in his report on the inspection of outworkers' premises in Westminster,
of which he received in the six months up to August 1st notice of upwards of 3,000,
writes:— "Inspection of their houses has not been made except in so far as the inspectors have
been able to include it in their ordinary work. I had 60 places specially examined, and in 17
instances it was necessary to take action, thereby showing the need of inspection; besides, such
inspection is a statutory duty, and the Council may prevent work being given out to persona
using places which are unsuitable." And again, Dr. Brown, writing of workshops in Bermondsey,
states that he does not think that the number on the register (322) represents more than at most
a third of the workshops which ought to be on the register, and he adds: "In this connection
I trust the Council will see the wisdom of considering at an early date, if the Factory and
Workshop Acts are to be efficiently administered, the appointment of at least one female sanitary
inspector." In a return as to sanitary officers appended to this report (see Appendix IV.) it will be
seen that Westminster has since appointed two female inspectors, and in a preface to his report,
Dr. Harris states that the Islington Borough Council have under consideration the appointment of
an additional inspector.*

Table: The return mentioned shows that inspectors are especially employed in connection with duties arising under the Factory and Workshop Act in the following twenty.three districts, in twenty.one of which female inspectors are employed in this work—

The return mentioned shows that inspectors are especially employed in connection with duties arising under the Factory and Workshop Act in the following twenty.three districts, in twenty.one of which female inspectors are employed in this work—

Metropolitan borough.Male inspectors.Female inspectors.Metropolitan borough.Male inspectors.Female inspectors.
Battersea11Lambeth-1
Bethnal-green1—Lewisham11
Camberwell—1Paddington12
Chelsea—1Poplar—1
Finsbury11St. Marylebone11
Fulham-1St. Pancras11
Hackney—2Southwark—1
Hammersmith1—Wandsworth—1
Hampstead11Westminster, City of—2
Holborn—1Woolwich—1
Islington11London, City of-1
Kensington-2

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In the above districts in some instances other duties may also devolve upon the inspectors,
but they are relieved of the general duties which usually devolve upon inspectors who have an area
allotted for their supervision. In Bermondsey, Deptford, Greenwich, Shoreditch, Stepney and
Stoke Newington, work arising under the Factory and Workshop Act is included with that of a
general character which is undertaken by inspectors, to each of whom an area of the district is
allotted for his supervision.

Table: Particulars of the number of workshop premises which have been added anew to the register, the number which has been removed from the register, and the number remaining at the end of the year may be shown in tabular form for the following boroughs—

Particulars of the number of workshop premises which have been added anew to the register, the number which has been removed from the register, and the number remaining at the end of the year may be shown in tabular form for the following boroughs—

Metropolitan borough.Number of workshops on register.
Added during 1903.Removed during 1903.Remaining at end of 1903.
Laundries.Bakehouses.Other workshops.Laundries.Bakehouses.Other workshops.Laundries.Bakehouses.Other workshops.
Paddington-13132313837366605
Fulham50113025164868200
Chelsea3—130—3162244457
Westminster, City of—2163—18————
Hampstead1217882451539611
Islington8—4691041621912471548
Stoke Newington2—22—1—192571
Finsbury41345455530621559
Shoreditch2—9336403376†1100
Southwark15—4736673731081736
Bermondsey——17723—82123105322
Battersea—21206—296791383
Wandsworth30114958121831291551202
Deptford—6232661079172
Greenwich——754—422375113
Lewisham1101336—2—13887446
Woolwich10133-941962158
* One additional inspector for the inspection of hou.es let, in lodgings has since been appointed in Islington. † Including workplaces other than outworkers premises and places where food is prepared for sale.