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

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City of London 1902

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]

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65
"This total does not, however, represent the number of rooms to be
"inspected and measured, but only the actual number of firms. In the East
"District the figures are found to be:—
" Number of workshops (firms) - 346
" ,, workrooms found - 494
" being 43 per cent, more than shown on the register.
" In the Middle and West Districts the number of workrooms at present
inspected is 155 and 96, the excess number of rooms over the number of
" firms being 86 and 54 per cent, respectively.
"The mean percentage for the three Districts, so far as the work has at
" present progressed, being 61.
"Applying this figure to the workshops on the register remaining to be
" inspected, there will be about 2,292 workrooms at present on the register.
"But, as investigation proceeds, it is still further found that there are a
"considerable number of workshops in the City which do not appear upon
"the Home Office register, while others are constantly being added.
"It will not, therefore, be unreasonable to estimate the actual number
" of rooms requiring detailed inspection as 2,500.
"Again these figures refer to 'workshops' only, and do not include ' work"places.'
There are to be added the large number of kitchens attached to
"restaurants, &c.
"In February, 1897, your Medical Officer of Health reported upon the
"restaurants, &c., of the City in considering the question of the Smoke
" Nuisance.

"He then stated:— " 'There are 614 establishments in which food is cooked for sale,. " 'distributed over the City, and dividing these for convenience of " ' reference over the three Sanitary Districts, we find in the

" ' East District178
" ' Middle „290
" ' West „146
614

" The prospective number of workshops and workplaces to be inspected " within the City may therefore be estimated to be:—

" Workshops (rooms)2,500
" Workplaces (kitchens, &c.) -614
" Bakehouses40
3,154