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practitioners or medical officers of health, to assist in the diagnosis of suspected
cases of infectious disease, particularly cerebrospinal fever and encephalitis lethargica.
They included one case of doubtful typhus (visited by Dr. Brincker), which was
subsequently confirmed as such in the North Western Fever Hospital. The other
cases proved to be cerebral haemorrhage, gastric fever, influenza, diabetic coma,
pneumococcal meningitis, influenzal meningitis and " meningismus."
B.—Administration.
It may be noted at the outset that certain statistical information available
is summarised in Table II on p. 54, and details connected with the administration
of the General Powers Acts (Tuberculous Milk) and with the supervision of slaughter
houses, cow-houses, and offensive trades, will be found in Chanter XXV.
Offensive
trades.
During 1922 the establishment anew of the businesses of a fat melter and a
fellmonger were sanctioned, as were also structural alterations to premises on which
the businesses of a fellmonger and a gut-scraper were carried on. Two cases of illegal
fat-melting were brought to the notice of the borough councils concerned. An
apphcation or permission to establish anew the business of a dresser of fur skins
was refused.
Common and
seamen's
lodging
houses,
The supervision of the 179 common lodging-houses licensed by the Council
entailed 10,265 day visits and 293 night visits by the inspectors.
In connection with the supervision of 44 seamen's lodging-houses licensed under
the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, the Council's inspectors paid 1,168 visits by day
and 138 by night.
Census of
homeless
persons.
A census of homeless persons in London was taken on the night of 10th February,
1922. The whole of the county was included except the outlying districts which
are not usually the resort of such persons. The night was clear and very cold.
Only eight persons (five men and three women) were found sheltering under arches
and staircases. In the streets 81 men and 23 women were found, as compared with
48 men and 8 women on the night of the census in 1921, and 296 men and 76 women:
at the census taken shortly before the war, in the early part of 1914. In the common
lodging-houses 13,076 persons were accommodated, as compared with 14,090 in
1921, and 20,173 in 1914. In the free shelters and labour homes, not licensed,
597 men, 148 women and 13 children were accommodated, as compared with 747
men, 165 women and 22 children in 1921. The number of persons in casual wards
on the night in question was 276 men, 11 women and two children, and there were
247 vacant beds. The number of inmates at the date of the last census was 176 men
and 12 women, and there were 263 vacant beds. At Rowton Houses 5,042 men
were accommodated as against 5,041 in 1921, and there were no vacant beds as
compared with five in 1921. A noteworthy point was a change in the type of
homeless persons found. The men were younger on the whole, and as regards
women, there was a notable decrease in those of the prostitute class.
Furnished
rooms.
The Chief Inspector, Mr. H. A. Jury, reports:—In connection with the small
number of persons found in the streets of London, especially females, on the occasion
of the last census of " Homeless Persons," I thought it would be interesting to
ascertain whether any change had taken place in the "furnished rooms" provided
for poor casual persons, which in the past have been largely occupied by persons
of the common lodging-house class. It was found that in Kensington there had
been a great reduction in the number of these rooms, and one keeper who formerly
owned a large number, told me that he had given them all up. The principal
"furnished room" centres are to be found in Notting Dale at Kensington; Campbellroad
and Queensland-road, in Islington; in Spitalfields; Essex-street, Shoreditch;
Stepney Green, Deptford, Woolwich and Bermondsey. In former years this last
district had a large population of this class, and there was also a group in the City
of Westminster which is now reduced to 2 or 3.
The medical officer of health for Kensington, in his report for 1921, states