London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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London County Council 1904

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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78
the inhabitants of Kensington. The number of persons accommodated in the shelters of some of the
other sanitary authorities was as follows:—Chelsea, 191; Westminster, 39; St. Marylebone, 18;
St. Pancras, 32; Islington, 14; Hackney, 104; Holborn, 6; Finsbury, 86; the City, 33; Shoreditch,
43; Bethnal Green, 86; Poplar, 159; Wandsworth, 6; Camberwell, 7; Deptford, 9; Greenwich, 13.
In Paddington, Lambeth and Woolwich the shelter was not used during the year.
Mortuaries.
With the improvement in the accommodation provided for the temporary deposit of the dead,
London mortuaries are being increasingly used, and some eleven per cent, of the dead bodies of the
deceased inhabitants of London were in 1904 received into these buildings. A new mortuary has been
provided on a site adjacent to the Coroner's Court in Greenwich. Dr. Annis describes it "as having its
accommodation divided into two portions, one for the reception of infectious bodies, the other for the
reception of general cases. The infectious diseases department is provided with catacombs for the
reception of six bodies and is adjacent to the common viewing corridor, being provided with a large
glass-plate window, so that the jurymen and others whose duty it is to view the bodies need not come
into contact therewith, nor run any risk of infection thereby. The general mortuary is provided with
catacombs for the reception of 12 bodies, also with an air-tight container for the reception of any
decomposing bodies and this mortuary is provided with a plate-glass window looking into the
viewing corridor. . There is also a well-lighted post-mortem room provided with two post-mortem
tables and all appurtenances, a room for the use of the medical men who may be called upon to carry
out their duties in this connection, accommodation for a small hand ambulance, and the usual offices.
The walls of the building are faced internally with opalite tiling, the floors are of terrazo paving, the
corners and angles are all rounded, hence the whole of the building can very readily be kept clean. It
is well lighted by electricity, and ventilated by louvres alongside the lantern lights in the roof.
The council of tho-borough of Deptford has been unable to use the land originally purchased for
the purpose of erection of a mortuary and therefore other arrangements have had to be made. The
council of the borough of Poplar has decided to erect a mortuary in Glaucus-street. This mortuary
will be associated with a Coroner's Court. The Medical Officer of Health of Lambeth has called
attention to the inadequacy of the mortuary in High-street, and states that a letter was received from
the Guardians drawing attention to the need of additional mortuary accommodation in the district,
"not necessarily for the reception of bodies awaiting inquest, but where bodies of poor people, whose
friends or relatives are unable to make adequate and sanitary arrangements at home, mav be taken
pending interment."

The extent to which mortuaries were used in the London districts, other than in Stepney and Lewisham, for which the information is wanting, is shown in the following table:—

Sanitary Area.Total number of bodies removed.Number of infectious bodies removed.Sanitary Area.Total number of bodies removed.Number of infectious bodies removed.
Paddington293London, City of184
Kensington3343Shoreditch4604
Hammersmith2162Bethnal Green376
Fulham2113Poplar476
Chelsea1122Southwark5576
Westminster, City of388Bermondsey178
St. Marylebone4084Lambeth3731
Hampstead821Battersea2216
St. Pancras4329Wandsworth197-
Islington6603Camberwell302
Stoke Newington58Deptford761
Hackney4365Greenwich170
Holborn1351Woolwich1642
Finsbury43715

The Cleansing of Persons Act.
As yet but little provision has been made in London under the Cleansing of Persons Act for the
cleansing of persons who may be in need of such assistance. At the time of the last report adequate
provision had been made only in St. Marylebone. In this district 8,465 persons were cleansed, a large
increase above the number of men and especially of the women cleansed in the preceding year. In
St. Pancras a room adjoining the Contact Shelter has now been fitted with a couple of baths for men,
and accommodation has also been provided for women and children. Dr. Sykes' annual report shows
that in the four quarters ending March, 1905, 2,630 persons presented themselves for cleansing. In
Hackney special provision has been made and has come into use during the present year. In other
districts the accommodation hitherto provided consists as a rule only of the use of the baths at the
casual wards, and only trifling use has been made of such accommodation. In Finsbury, however,
arrangements are almost completed for providing more satisfactory accommodation, and in the City of
Westminster it is intended to make suitable provision at the proposed central disinfecting station.