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 1940
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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24
SANITARY INSPECTION.
Complaints.
The total number of complaints received was 1,298 as against 1,387 in 1939.
Details of the various nuisances detected and remedied, to the total number of 1,850,
are set out in Table 9.
TABLE 9.
Nuisances Detected and Remedied.
| Nature of Nuisance. | Districts. | The Borough. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1. | No. 2. | No. 3. | No. 4. | No. 5. | No. 6. | ||
| Houses damp, dirty or dilapidated remedied | 18 | 66 | 124 | 39 | 73 | 52 | 372 |
| Doors, windows, floors, ceilings, sash cords, grates and flues, etc., repaired | 10 | 56 | 41 | 29 | 54 | 24 | 214 |
| Verminous rooms disinfested | 3 | 20 | 26 | 17 | 8 | 18 | 92 |
| Dirty and verminous furniture and bedding cleansed | - | - | 7 | 14 | 8 | 17 | 46 |
| Overcrowding abated | — | 3 | 18 | — | 2 | — | 23 |
| Underground rooms (illegal occupation) dealt with | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Water closet defects remedied | 7 | 46 | 76 | 16 | 18 | 28 | 191 |
| Insufficient and unsuitable water closet accommodation remedied | — | 1 | 17 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 32 |
| Urinal defects remedied | 4 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 5 |
| Drains and water closet stoppages cleared | 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 19 | 49 |
| Drains relaid or amended | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 21 |
| Soilpipes and ventilating shafts repaired or renewed | — | 9 | 5 | — | 5 | 6 | 25 |
| Waste pipe defects remedied | 5 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 43 |
| Yard defects remedied | 3 | 14 | 52 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 102 |
| Wash-house defects remedied | 2 | 8 | 46 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 85 |
| Area defects remedied | — | 5 | 35 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 53 |
| Basement defects remedied | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Roofs and gutters repaired | 10 | 33 | 65 | 17 | 21 | 47 | 193 |
| Water supply to houses reinstated | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 7 | 3 | 17 |
| Water supply laid on to upper storeys | — | 3 | — | — | — | 1 | 4 |
| Water cistern defects remedied | — | 1 | — | 1 | 5 | 2 | 9 |
| Dung or dust receptacles repaired or renewed | — | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 35 |
| Rubbish, manure, etc., accumulations removed | — | 24 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 31 | 96 |
| Animal nuisances abated | — | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | 5 |
| Rats and mice infestations dealt with | 1 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 35 |
| Bakehouses cleansed | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Smoke nuisances abated | — | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Shops (insufficiently ventilated or heated) dealt with | — | — | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 14 |
| Miscellaneous | 5 | 20 | 12 | 2 | 23 | 19 | 81 |
Intimation Notices.
In 323 cases the nuisances were abated by the persons responsbile for their
removal after receipt of a preliminary (intimation) notice advising them of the
existence of the defect.
Statutory Notices.
Statutory notices were issued in 130 instances. Of this number, 112 related
to one block of tenement buildings (Huntsworth Terrace). The notices referred to
such matters as dirt, dampness, verminous rooms, insufficient water-closet accommodation,
inadequate water supply, and to other defects and conditions