London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Marylebone 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
TABLE 22
| Nature of Nuisance. | Districts. | The Borough. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No.1. | No. 2. | No. 3. | No. 4. | No. 5. | No. 6. | ||
| Houses damp, dirty or dilapidated remedied | 102 | 169 | 126 | 127 | 103 | 36 | 663 |
| Doors, windows, floors, ceilings, sash cords, grates and flues, etc.. repaired | 70 | 48 | 55 | 48 | 68 | 16 | 305 |
| Verminous rooms | 41 | 264 | 180 | 63 | 43 | 27 | 618 |
| Dirty and verminous furniture and bedding cleansed | 2 | 96 | 146 | 12 | 19 | 14 | 289 |
| Overcrowding abated | — | — | 2 | 6 | — | 1 | 8 |
| Underground rooms (illegal occupation) dealt with | - | 1 | 4 | 2 | - | 1 | 8 |
| Water closet defects remedied | 38 | 22 | 76 | 85 | 31 | 37 | 289 |
| Insufficient and unsuitable water closet accommodation remedied | 1 | 2 | 7 | 59 | 13 | 27 | 109 |
| Urinal defects remedied | _- | -_ | -_ | - | — | - | - |
| Drains and water closet stoppages cleared | 12 | 12 | 12 | 20 | 12 | 6 | 73 |
| Drains relaid or amended | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 17 |
| Soilpipes and ventilating shafts repaired or renewed | 22 | - | 8 | 15 | 9 | - | 54 |
| Waste pipe defects remedied | 5 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 39 |
| Yard defects remedied | 52 | 5 | 52 | 68 | 8 | 4 | 189 |
| Wash-house defects remedied | 43 | 2 | 44 | 73 | 19 | 3 | 184 |
| Area defects remedied | — | 1 | 6 | 78 | 5 | 3 | 93 |
| Basement defects remedied | 1 | 1 | 1 | _- | - | - | 3 |
| Roofs and gutters repaired | 34 | 18 | 24 | 29 | 25 | 5 | 135 |
| Water supply to houses reinstated | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | — | 3 | 10 |
| Water supply laid on to upper storeys | — | — | 3 | 4 | 14 | — | 21 |
| Water cistern defects remedied | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | — | 2 | 17 |
| Dung or dust receptacles repaired or renewed | 11 | 7 | 20 | 25 | 17 | 1 | 81 |
| Rubbish, manure, etc., accumulations removed | 12 | 11 | 26 | 25 | 20 | 14 | 108 |
| Workshops, dirty | — | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 29 |
| „ overcrowded | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 3 |
| „ insufficiently ventilated | — | — | — | 11 | — | 1 | 12 |
| Animal nuisances abated | — | 2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | — | 17 |
| Rats and mice infestation | 5 | — | 5 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 32 |
| Bakehouses dirty | — | - | 4 | 3 | — | — | 7 |
| Smoke nuisances | — | - | 1 | 3 | 5 | — | 9 |
| Shops insufficiently ventilated or heated | - | 2 | 2 | 9 | - | 5 | 18 |
| Miscellaneous | 72 | 13 | 32 | 29 | 23 | 8 | 177 |
Legal Proceedings.
In no case was it found necessary to institute proceedings in court for failure
to comply with statutory notices to abate nuisances.
SHOPS.
Under the Shops Act, 1934, the Borough Council as Sanitary Authority is responsible
for the inspection of shops and warehouses in connection with (1) the
provision of suitable and adequate sanitary accommodation for the workpeople,
(2) the provision of proper ventilation, and (3) the maintenance of reasonable
temperature.
During the period under review 100 shops were inspected. In 14 instances
notices were served in respect of contravention of the Act and in 13 cases the defects
were remedied, a considerable amount of work, calling in some cases for a degree of
reconstruction of premises, being done. In one case proceedings for non-compliance
were instituted, but had not been completed when the year closed.