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

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Hampstead 1913

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hampstead, Metropolitan Borough of]

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107
Section 12 of the Children Act, 1908, m that it constituted "neglect."
Consequently I brought the matter to the notice of the Public Health
Committee, who referred it to the Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Children. Proceedings were instituted by them against both
parents, and evidence was given by the officials of the London County
Council and myself, with the result that the father and mother were
each sentenced to a term of six weeks' imprisonment with hard labour.
The effect has been most salutary, and I think this course should be
adopted in all cases where the parents subject their children to the
unnecessary suffering which these verminous conditions entail.
In connection with the cleansing of verminous children, another
somewhat unusual incident occurred. In pursuance of the request made
by the London County Council to deal with the bedding and clothing
of verminous children, the sanitary inspector visited a house in
Rroomsleigh Street to make an inspection of the home of a child who had
been reported as attending school while in a verminous condition. The
mother was at home when the inspector called, and he was admitted to
the passage, but when he attempted to enter the rooms he was obstructed
by the mother to such an extent as to make it inadvisable to proceed
with the inspection. The matter was reported to the Public Health
Committee, and by their direction the mother was summoned for
obstruction, and was tined five shillings and two shillings costs. Following
this, another attempt was made to carry out the inspection, but the
inspector was met with the same obstruction on the occasion of his
second visit. Consequently, a further summons for obstruction was
issued, and this time the Magistrate inflicted a penalty of £1 and two
shillings costs, and gave the woman some wholesome advice, with the
result that on the third occasion when the inspector called he was
admitted.
Customs and Inland Revenue Acts.
These Acts provide that the owners of premises that arc let in
dwellings of a certain class may claim exemption or abatement from
inhabited house duty on producing a certificate from the Medical Officer
of Health that the dwellings afford proper sanitary accommodation for
the occupants. During the year, applications for certificates under these
Acts were received in respect of 22 dwellings, this number being
less than the number for which applications were made in 1012.