London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Marylebone 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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TABLE 26.
| Nature of Nuisance. | Districts. | The Borough. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1. | No. 2. | No. 3 | No. 4 | No. 5 | No. 6. | ||
| Houses damp, dirty or dilapidated remedied | 88 | 253 | 225 | 114 | 131 | 45 | 856 |
| Doors, windows, floors, ceilings, sash cords, grates and flues, etc. repaired | 96 | 132 | 88 | 39 | 52 | 21 | 428 |
| Verminous rooms | 19 | 155 | 165 | 62 | 51 | 37 | 479 |
| Dirty and verminous furniture and bedding cleansed | — | 4 | 93 | 22 | 8 | 18 | 145 |
| Overcrowding abated | 43 | 51 | 213 | 25 | 42 | 26 | 400 |
| Underground rooms (illegal occupation) dealt with | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | 5 |
| Water closet defects remedied | 63 | 74 | 167 | 90 | 54 | 50 | 498 |
| Insufficient and unsuitable water closet accommodation remedied | — | 3 | 8 | 30 | 15 | 25 | 81 |
| Urinal defects remedied | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Drains and water closet stoppages cleared | 1 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 24 | 11 | 66 |
| Drains relaid or amended | — | — | 11 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 35 |
| Soilpipes and ventilating shafts repaired or renewed | 3 | 2 | 17 | 8 | 18 | 5 | 53 |
| Waste pipe defects remedied | 2 | 35 | 47 | 9 | 21 | 8 | 122 |
| Yard defects remedied | 44 | 28 | 143 | 62 | 33 | 10 | 320 |
| Wash-house defects remedied | 34 | 28 | 134 | 59 | 27 | 11 | 293 |
| Area defects remedied | 1 | 10 | 19 | 67 | 10 | 4 | 111 |
| Basement defects remedied | — | — | 1 | — | 8 | 12 | 21 |
| Roofs and gutters repaired | 17 | 51 | 48 | 37 | 31 | 8 | 192 |
| Water supply to houses reinstated | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | 7 |
| Water supply laid on to upper storeys | — | — | 4 | 21 | 3 | — | 28 |
| Water cistern defects remedied | — | 1 | — | 9 | 14 | 4 | 28 |
| Dung or dust receptacles repaired or renewed | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 29 | 21 | 114 |
| Rubbish, manure, etc., accumulations removed | 5 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 39 | 8 | 144 |
| Animal nuisances abated | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | 5 |
| Rats and mice infestation | 2 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 7 | — | 38 |
| Bakehouses dirty | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | 3 |
| Smoke nuisances | — | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| Shops insufficiently ventilated or heated | — | 3 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 20 | 38 |
| Miscellaneous | 64 | 24 | 42 | 25 | 37 | 15 | 207 |
SHOPS.
Under the Shops Act, 1934, the Borough Council as Sanitary Authority are
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 351 shops were inspected. In 38 instances notices
were served in respect of contravention of the Act and in 37 cases the defects were
remedied without the need for further action. In one case proceedings were instituted
for failure to provide and maintain suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences
available for the use of persons employed in or about the shop. The magistrate
found the case proved, and ordered the defendant to pay £5 costs.
CAMPING SITES.
No sites in the Borough were used for camping purposes during 1938.